Flavour of the Day with Noora

Over-parenting?

How do you console your child if you were unfair to him? As a parent of an 8-yearold, 2-year-old and 8-month-old, I can easily say that as a parent, I don't always do the right thing. I might not give my child the right amount of attention he needs because I am busy, say "no" to things that should have been "ok" after thinking about it, or be strict about things that are not such a big deal at that moment like "cleaning-up".

Then, I find myself regretting my decision and thinking of a way to make it up for my child. However, I almost never know how.

Is going back and giving your child what he wanted in the first place a good idea or should it be postponed to a later occurrence?

Is bending the rules now and then right if you explain that it is an exception or are one-time exceptions confusing for children?

Is it ok for a parent to change her/his mind or should parents always stick to their decisions?

I worry that being strict and uncompromising is only teaching my child to be exactly that, even though what I really want him to understand is that rules are rules. But, I also worry that changing my mind and giving in is teaching him that if he just pushes a little bit more, he will get away with it.

What is the right thing here?