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Temper tantrums not to be retaliated with anger: Child psychologist
An aggressive parenting style that includes yelling and hitting is not effective in disciplining children, according to child psychologist Novita Tandry. The approach actually drives children away from their parents, she added
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Child psychologist Novita Tandry underlined the importance of understanding the most suitable parenting style to apply to children. (Shutterstock/File)
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n aggressive parenting style that includes yelling and hitting is not effective in disciplining children, according to child psychologist Novita Tandry. The approach actually drives children away from their parents, she added.
During the launch of her book, Happy Parenting Without Spanking or Yelling, on Wednesday, Novita told kompas.com, “We don’t need violence to discipline children.”
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She underlined the core of the matter, which is parents’ understanding about the most appropriate parenting style to apply to their children.
Applying physical abuse or yelling to discipline a child, according to Novita, is a bad choice.
Fun parenting and creating conducive situations is suggested, especially in the tantrum phase. Tantrums are emotional outbursts in children, often materialized as crying and whining when they are not able to express themselves with words.
Novita said parents must understand that this is a normal phase for 2-to 4-year-olds.
“Parents don’t have to be scared and retaliate with anger,” she added.
However, parents must beware if temper tantrums occur daily, as the anger might be frustration expressed by the toddler. Several studies suggest that recurring tantrums might be early signs of mental illness, Novita said. (mas/asw)
