Parenting Style Self-Quiz

Your daughter has emptied your button container, scattering buttons all over the place. You…

• help her clean it up

• get mad and tell her to clean up -NOW

• tell her to clean up and nothing else is allowed until it gets done

• let it be. she is entertained and out of your way

Your child wants to watch cartoons rated for 8-year-olds and older but he’s only 5. You…

• let them watch the shows

• tell them no and change the channel

• decide to preview the show before they do and then see if it's suitable or not

• you might not even realize what shows they were watching to begin with

Your daughter wants to play with the twin girls across the street. They’re 14-years-old and your daughter is 9. You…

• Let all the girls play together. She really enjoys them.

• Forbid her from going over.

• Talk to her and help her find alternate friends.

• Let her play with whoever she wants to play with.

Your son has scratched another boy’s face. You…

• Ignore it. They can figure it out on their own.

• Discuss with him what happened and reprimand, to show disapproval.

• Let it go – it was a children’s fight.

• Get mad and scratch him to give him a sense of what the pain is like

Your mother-in-law feeds junk food and sweets to your child when you visit. You…

• Allow sweets for dessert only

• Ignore it. She should be able to do what she wants

• Intervene and tell your mother-in-law “No way!”

• Let your child eat it.

Your son broke your favourite vase and is lying about it, telling you the neighbour’s boys did it. You…

• Say it’s okay but are saddened by the loss of your vase

• Reprimand him for lying. You tell him had he said the truth – about how the vase broke – no reprimands would have been necessary.

• You don’t want to deal with it at this point. Maybe you’ll mention it later at a more appropriate time.

• Punish him for both lying and breaking the vase

Your daughter forgot to do her homework…again. You…

• Let it go this time. She must have been busy.

• Let the teacher deal with it.

• Punish her and give her extra work to do

• Help her establish a checklist and ways to remember so she won’t forget anymore.

Your son has written all over the table, chair, and floor using wax crayons. You…

• Laugh and give him a stack of papers for next time.

• Turn your back on it.

• Get him to wash it off and the next art session will be closely monitored.

• Get upset, wash it off yourself, and get rid of all types of crayons.

Your daughter has problems making friends at school. You…

• Have a big party and shower the children with gifts and bribes

• Think that’s good; friends are problems altogether

• Have a discussion with her about what friendship is all about and enroll her in an activity where she’ll make some friends.

• Leave her alone. She’ll figure it out someday.

Your daughter has a nightmare and instead of going to bed she climbs into bed with you. You…

• Roll over and go to sleep.

• Get up, comfort her, and tuck her in her own bed

• Yell at her to get back into her own bed.

• Let her be. It’s nice that she loves you and both of you will sleep the rest of the night.