Expert Dr. Gray's Top 5 Parenting Tips

GIVE YOUR CHILD PERMISSION AND SUPPORT TO BE AUTHENTIC. We also need to see all the ways that we neglect to give that message so that their potential can come forward. 

GIVE THEM PERMISSION TO BE MOTIVATED. They should be self-motivated by knowing what they want. Often we push down our child's wishes thinking that they are inappropriate. It's okay to want more. Many children, particularly girls, are raised with the notion that it's not okay to ask or want for more. If the parents can't provide more, the child is made to feel guilty for wanting more. Children need encouragement and support for expressing their wants and needs, but also need a clear message that you don't get what you want but it's okay to want more. We must also teach them what is, and is not appropriate.

MAKE ROOM FOR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS. We must, of course, teach children how to identify those emotions, and how to express them at the appropriate time and place. If we do not make room for children's negative emotions than the ability to develop a conscience gets suppressed as does our ability and willingness to do good.

IT IS O.K TO SAY NO! Kids can resist and not like but they need to remember that the parent is the boss. You need to build confidence in your children, meet their needs, motivate them, and create cooperation.

IT IS OKAY TO MAKE MISTAKES. If children are punished for their mistakes, quite automatically they develop a fear about making mistakes. Without the safety to make a mistake, a child may have a tendency to defend and justify their mistake rather than self-correct. They may blame others for the mistake, rather than looking at how they contributed to it.  Children should first learn that it's safe to make mistakes, then they learn on their own to identify their mistakes and self-correct.