How to Parent Children with Opposite Personalities
Plan individual time with each child., Don’t allow interruptions during your time with your child., Don’t be ‘fair’., Set punishments based on the child., Be cautious.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Plan individual time with each child.
One of the most important steps in parenting your opposite children is to plan time individually with them.
Since they are different, they might have little in common and not enjoy the same music, movies, or activities.
You can spend time with each child exploring their interests and building your parental bond with them apart from their sibling.
Some things you can do together include:
Going to dinner together and allowing them to pick the restaurant Taking them shopping or to see a film of their choice Exploring their individual interests like horseback riding, comic books or video games Spending time assisting them with their homework or school projects. -
Step 2: Don’t allow interruptions during your time with your child.
When you are spending time with your children, it is important that they feel valued.
Don’t get on your phone or on social media during this time.
Don’t allow your other children to interrupt either, unless it is an emergency., Remember that different children have different needs.
Rather than setting out to spend the exact same amount of time with each child per week, think about what your child needs from you.
One of your children might be very independent and need only minimal attention, while the other might be more dramatic and require more.
Think about what your child needs and give them that rather than developing a one size fits all model of time and affection.Perhaps you have one child who responds well to physical touch and affection and another who prefers to have their space.
Respect and attend to both children based on their personalities.
Have a conversation with your child about their needs.
Check in with them regularly to make sure they’re okay. , Just as your children will need varying amounts of affection and time, they will also need punishments that are tailored to them.
For instance, grounding a child who is extroverted and who has a lot of friends will be much more impactful than grounding a child who is an introvert and a loner.
Determine what punishments will be most effective based on your child and implement those.
Timeouts and revoking phone privileges tend to work on children of all personality types, however.
Other potential punishments could include an increase in chores or community service.
These types of punishments can work for all types of children. , Setting different rules for your children and treating them differently can lead to resentment.
One sibling may feel excluded if you hold different standards for your children.
Keep this in mind as you consider how to parent your children. -
Step 3: Don’t be ‘fair’.
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Step 4: Set punishments based on the child.
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Step 5: Be cautious.
Detailed Guide
One of the most important steps in parenting your opposite children is to plan time individually with them.
Since they are different, they might have little in common and not enjoy the same music, movies, or activities.
You can spend time with each child exploring their interests and building your parental bond with them apart from their sibling.
Some things you can do together include:
Going to dinner together and allowing them to pick the restaurant Taking them shopping or to see a film of their choice Exploring their individual interests like horseback riding, comic books or video games Spending time assisting them with their homework or school projects.
When you are spending time with your children, it is important that they feel valued.
Don’t get on your phone or on social media during this time.
Don’t allow your other children to interrupt either, unless it is an emergency., Remember that different children have different needs.
Rather than setting out to spend the exact same amount of time with each child per week, think about what your child needs from you.
One of your children might be very independent and need only minimal attention, while the other might be more dramatic and require more.
Think about what your child needs and give them that rather than developing a one size fits all model of time and affection.Perhaps you have one child who responds well to physical touch and affection and another who prefers to have their space.
Respect and attend to both children based on their personalities.
Have a conversation with your child about their needs.
Check in with them regularly to make sure they’re okay. , Just as your children will need varying amounts of affection and time, they will also need punishments that are tailored to them.
For instance, grounding a child who is extroverted and who has a lot of friends will be much more impactful than grounding a child who is an introvert and a loner.
Determine what punishments will be most effective based on your child and implement those.
Timeouts and revoking phone privileges tend to work on children of all personality types, however.
Other potential punishments could include an increase in chores or community service.
These types of punishments can work for all types of children. , Setting different rules for your children and treating them differently can lead to resentment.
One sibling may feel excluded if you hold different standards for your children.
Keep this in mind as you consider how to parent your children.
About the Author
Amber Palmer
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow pet care tutorials.
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