Parenting with love

Coercion is defined as "the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats". Parents sometimes use coercion as a method of parenting. 

Coercion is compelling others to act or choose in a certain way. Coercive parenting is a very tempting way to raise and treat children. Parents often think that it creates expediency and efficiency… they get what they wanted immediately… it must have worked. It gives parents the sense that their child is obeying them, so they must be doing the right thing because their child is complying with them. But, I can tell you right now that this is only an image and is actually not working at all.

Coercion creates only short term compliance. In return the child will retaliate and want to leave the environment, or they will counter coercion by doing the things they know they are not supposed to be doing to get even.

I think the best way for parents to get past the temptation to coerce children is by understanding the outcome it can have on the child. I think if parents could see the long term effect that this style of parenting had on the child they wouldn’t feel so tempted to treat their child this way. I also think that if parents were educated and knew that there were others ways to get the child to do what you wanted him to do they would be more willing to try something different. I think another big way to not coerce children is to see them the way our Father in Heaven sees them. To love them and understand that they are children and that we need to love and respect them.

"The family that embraces multiple opportunities to teach will generally find that they need to discipline their children less often as their children internalize principles ad gradually evidence greater ability for self-control."

My husband and I do not have any children yet. But, I know that learning different parenting techniques will set us up for success. We can understand now how we want to raise our children so that when we get into these situations we will know how to handle them.