How are your parenting skills?

Have you ever bribed your kid? 

That’s a big parenting no-no. Here are some of the most common parenting pitfalls to avoid:

• Bribery: A savvy child will use that tactic to their advantage – with ever-increasing reward demands for stuff they should be doing anyway.

• Warnings: If your child is behaving badly – skip the warning and take action. Warnings just set looser boundaries – especially if you’re not prepared to follow through. 

• Giving in: While it can be appropriate, on the rare occasion that you are wrong - consistently giving in to whining or begging just encourages your child to be a nudge or a bully to get their way.

• Skipping chores: The goal of child-rearing is to grow them up and move them out. Sparing them chores, or acting like their housekeeper deprives them of the skills they’ll need for living on their own.