October 01, 2019

Love and Logic Parenting

Have you struggled to find your parenting flow? Are you looking to create consistency without punishment overload? There are many positive and effective parenting strategies, but today we’re highlighting Love and Logic parenting, which is a style that puts the focus on removing parental emotion while also teaching valuable and responsible lessons to your child. It’s designed to help restore the fun to parenting. 

The overall theme of Love and Logic parenting is this: provide an open and consistent atmosphere filled with love, acceptance, and empathy while allowing natural consequences to teach lessons. Early intervention is key in developing cause-and-effect decision making. By the time your child reaches adult age, the idea is that they will have developed decision-making skills that are necessary for a productive adult life. 

This method of parenting advocates for the offering of age-appropriate (and parent-approved) options for children. It’s not about “playing in the street vs. the front yard,” but more about offering options to guide an autonomous decision-making process. As parents, this will teach you a lot about your child.

Here’s an example: your child is resisting studying for a test at school, saying they “don’t need” to study. Then testing day comes and your child receives a poor grade. This is where you, the parent, steps in with empathy and love, not negativity, and shows them it’s okay to mess up sometimes. This inadvertently guides your child towards, perhaps, better preparing for their next test. 

It’s important to use enforceable statements or options with your child. Rather than saying, “clean your room,” you could say, “I will happily drive you to the mall once your room is clean.” If your child refuses a non-enforceable statement, they gain control of the situation. This is why it is important to remove emotions and remain calm while offering reasonable and enforceable options. 

Love and Logic parenting isn’t for all families; some will learn that this style of parenting won’t work with all personalities or temperaments. Nobody is perfect and parenting is never one-size-fits-all—this approach isn’t meant to work instantly. It is designed to build a thoughtful and responsible decision-making process within your child. 

Photo via Getty images.