Was parenting stricter in the past? According to an educator, parents let their children get away with too much and harm them.
Neuss – Do children do what their parents tell them or do the parents do what their children want? According to one educator, the latter is more likely to be the case with today’s generation. Parents spoil their offspring, allow them everything and thus show neither limits nor rules. An educational scientist from Neuss (North Rhine-Westphalia) is of the opinion that this does not develop stable self-confidence in the children. He therefore advocates that parents stop taking everything from their children and make it as easy as possible for them.
Childhood and adolescence should actually prepare for the often mentioned “serious side of life”. This includes not only the stay in day-care centers or schools, but also the behavior of the parents, who should not let their children get away with everything, but communicate clearly how people should behave. According to the educator Albert Wunsch, today’s children are hardly resilient, have little stamina and give up quickly, as he explained in an interview with Der Spiegel .
Educator: Children are not well equipped for ‘life’s challenges’
It is understandable that parents want to give their children special protection, especially during the corona pandemic. In the first week after the holidays, for example, parents in Baden-Württemberg* drove their children directly to the school door. Associations then called for an end to “parent taxis” for going to school*. According to the educationalist Albert Wunsch, the children are softened overall by their upbringing. They “imagine they can do an incredible amount, which is not true,” he told Der Spiegel . “And of course that means they’re not well equipped to face life’s challenges.”
This also develops a self-portrayal that cannot be healthy for the children. “Today there are many princes and princesses in first class who all think they are the center of the world,” says Wunsch. “Who want to communicate without restrictions, expect praise and cannot deal with a stop or criticism.” According to the wish, the children’s behavior results from the behavior of the parents. The educator says parents raise their children to be “softened miserable figures”, also reports 24hamburg.de *. And actor Henning Baum has already etched about educational methods (BW24 * reported).
Educational scientists Desire: Parents want to prove themselves, but this harms the child
Parents want to prove themselves to their children as a good father and mother and often also as a friend. However, this harms their offspring. “They praise their children for every little thing and they believe too much,” says Wunsch. “In this way, the child does not develop real, stable self-confidence.” This can only develop if the child independently learns certain abilities and skills through practice. “Children should learn early on how to deal with challenges,” says the expert. “But this is hardly possible for them if their parents act too much for them and protect them from conflicts.”
According to the educator, the reasons for raising children today are very banal. To agree with the children and to let them see everything is easier and faster, he told Der Spiegel . In addition, many parents wish to avoid conflicts with their children. “It’s understandable, but it’s negative for the child. And the parents are rather selfish,” says Wunsch. Of course, such statements cannot be applied to all children across the board, as the educationalist also admits. “I’m not saying that this applies to all children, but the number is growing.” *BW24 and 24hamburg.de are offers from IPPEN.MEDIA .
