Most parents must have encountered this situatioin at one time or another. Your child is doing something that is potentially dangerous, or annoying, and when you try to stop them they throw a tantrum.
This is always one fo the biggest trials that any parent must face. Positive parenting involving tolerance and lots of praise is well known to contribute toward the development of social competence and self confidence. But parents need to assert their authority and remain in charge.
The typical toddler will, on average, face up to 20 restrictions on their activities every hour. Nione of us would like to be told what to do or not to do every three minutes?
Parental control is often needed when a child is doing what comes naturally but putting themselves or their peers at risk in the process. Putting a sharp metal knife in their mouths, fighting or poking one another in the eyes are all common examples of how children will test boundaries while investigating the world around them.
Giving the child an alternative can be an excellent way to allow them to continue to safely investigate and learn. You may, for example, sway the metal knife for a safe spoon or maybe a plastic knife. Or let them find out how much it can hurt to be poked in the eye.
Alternatives can provide an effective way to head off a potentially tense situation, but they don’t always work. The first thing to do is to acknowledge what the child is trying to achieve and then to introduce the alternative. Engage the child with the alternative by making it appear more attractive than whatever it was the child was doing before.
There will be plenty of occasions when you will not be in a position or able to offer alternatives and these will serve to educate your child that the world has its limits. But providing safe alternatives to potentially risky or harmful behavior can help to reinforce a positive relationship with your children and teach them that other options are often available.
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I recommend camping as a great way to bond with children, to provide them with freedom to investigate the world around them and engage with their parents or carers. But always remember to ensure safety by using the right camping equipment. You may like to take part in a bushcraft course where children will learn a variety of skills including how to handle a bushcraft knife, start a fire without matches and tracking skills.