I think that it was Freud who said that good mental health means that a person is able to love and to work. In a family loving is often very difficult. Being loving means that as a Father I am forced to make difficult decisions and stick to them. This is so my kids can get the consistency that they need.
Tough love demands that each family member assumes responsibility for their actions and choices. For the parent this means that they will not be manipulated by their children’s emotional reactions to their discipline. Parents need to realize that even though they may teach their children right that their children may make choices that contradict that teaching. The parents need to realize that this is not their responsibility.
Tough love requires the parent to:
1.Take a stand and stick to it.
2.Not be manipulated by their children
3.Provide help when the child needs it
I thought that this would be so easy when I became a parent. That because I was the adult I would instinctively know the difference between right and wrong and pass that onto my children. I realise more and more that love is a tough thing to live out. In my children’s life it is my responsibility to ensure that they will be equipped later on to be able to make the right choices in life.