Using Scare Tactics

[Blake]

How often do you think you use scare tactics in parenting? It's something I try to avoid because I don't want to be paranoid. I want to teach them to do things for their own reasons, not just because of my own fatherly paranoia.

 

[Kenneth]

Scare tactics can back fire so you should be careful. Many kids rebel and get into things just to upset their parents. There are the small few that will actually rebel to the point of physically attacking their parents as you have probably seen on a news channel. I'm sure there are ways to get your point across to children without becoming their enemy.

 

[Len]

I agree that scare tactics are bad. I see this a lot with kids raised with strict religion. They rebel intensely, to the point that they become everything their parents hated. I think kids have to make mistakes to learn. Don't scare them away.

 

[Peyton]

I also agree that scare tactics are not a good parenting tool. Kids need structure and discipline, but scaring them is just not a constructive way of teaching them.

 

[Independent]

I try really hard not to use scare tactics. However, every now and again I will use them. I find that happens when I am really really tired and feeling desperate.

 

[2andalone]

Sometimes it can be hard but I really can't think of anything I've done to really scare the kids. I think I'm guilty of watching things on TV and telling them "That could happen to you if you do/don't do . . ."

 

[stayathomepaul]

I use them all the time. After reading this I am starting to feel really bad about it. Maybe I should rethink it and learn some new methods for getting them to do what I want them to do.

 

[Ifamily]

I agree that scare tactics are not the best parenting method, and I try not to use it to teach the kids. I don't want to be a dictator parent who usually ends up raising rebellious kids.

 

[the matrix]

Sometimes if something needs to get done, like brush their teeth or take a shower, I will use scare tactics but not often. Other situations I don't do it because, like others have said, they will eventually not respond or rebel. I let them figure out for themselves that what they are doing is wrong without scaring them.