They say everything comes back around.
If there’s a lesson to be learned from life, this is one of the truest statements.
If there’s anything I’ve learned about relationships, it’s that they can change daily, for good or bad.
You might find yourself able to set aside some of the negativity that you used to associate with certain individuals to form new bonds that are more beneficial.
You might even come to a new understanding that you once held before, in fact.
Regardless of the outlook, respect for individuals is something that is to be upheld
The ultimate purpose is to build strong bonds that will transcend into the next generation.
Although you will encounter some individuals that you will never understand and can’t get over, keep in mind that the truth is that some of these people will never even meet you in person.
More importantly, you will interact with many adults throughout your life.
Some will be supportive and respectful. Some will drive you crazy or cause you to feel completely alienated and maybe even unsafe.
Some will be strangers, friends, or acquaintances that will forever be with you.
The ultimate goal is to establish healthy relationships with the adults in your life.
The idea is to establish both long-term relationships as well as ones that last for a limited time.
Disciplining kids
Some things never change. Like disciplining children.
As you can imagine, this doesn’t often go well.
With adults, it’s different, but the task is the same: Negotiating their boundaries and understanding how they function.
You want to get to know the adult you are dealing with.
Why are they the way they are? What experiences have they had in their life that have caused them to act in certain ways?
Your goal is to make it clear to them that you are on their side, and you are trying to understand them for who they are and not the way you want them to act.
There will be some situations where it will be more appropriate to address certain issues in front of the child and not to leave them in a state of confusion.
In other situations, you should discuss the issues between you and the adult so that you can come to an understanding.
In all cases, it’s important to have some sort of meaningful interaction with your adult.
Remember, relationships are the most important thing you can ever achieve in life.
It’s your chance to build positive and long-lasting relationships with other adults that will form a foundation for the rest of your life.
The positive thing is that you will also be able to build these relationships with the children you are dealing with, as they will see you as a role model and someone who values them.
Communication
Although it might seem strange to bring up the topic of communication, it is one of the most vital things in developing any type of relationship.
It’s so important to communicate with an adult so that you can set clear expectations and know what you can and cannot do.
It might be hard at first, but it will make your life much easier in the long run.
While it’s not always possible to discuss the full picture, you must establish what will and will not be acceptable behavior in a particular relationship.
What is okay and what isn’t? Set clear limits for your children as well as the adults that are in your life.
Set clear and concise boundaries that everyone is comfortable with, and that will help you all communicate with one another.
Concerns and criticism
Although we need some form of structure to feel comfortable, we must also keep in mind that the people who love us, like it when we are spontaneous and our boundaries are set.
This is an extremely common behavior for children, as they typically aren’t familiar with boundaries.
It’s a good practice to encourage children to speak their minds, but it’s also important to provide them with some sort of limits.
The problem comes when they see a boundary as something that they shouldn’t break.
You need to talk to your children and the adults in their life about their expectations.
Be honest and open about why you are setting certain boundaries, and be willing to accommodate any changes.
If there is a time in your child’s life where you need to be more strict, do it.
However, don’t use the excuse that they don’t know how to have boundaries yet.
It might be easy to say that, but you are setting a very dangerous precedent.
Be realistic, but be open to the fact that some things might change, and that’s okay.
If you set boundaries that allow you to be flexible, then you will find yourself better off.
Just keep in mind that all relationships will require patience
The way that you deal with children will become a lot different than the way that you deal with adults.
Do your best to set clear boundaries, but don’t go overboard and force your child to follow them.
They are still developing and learning, and you shouldn’t be too hard on them.
However, you also shouldn’t allow them to do whatever they want, either.
You want them to learn to be respectful, and you want them to know that they can say “no” to you when they need to.
If you find that your child is disobeying you, then you need to follow through with consequences and show that you mean business.
The best way to have children that respect boundaries are to show them that you mean business.
