Holden Parenting Analysis

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I believe George Holden chose to focus on parenting styles because corporal punishment has become a common parenting approach, with over 70% of families participating. The speaker wants to introduce and convince families to a better parenting style. Holden presents a paradoxical argument that argues the way to empower children and parents is to disempower parents. He touches on the subject of corporal punishment and its unintended side effects . He transitions from speaking about a “traditional” parenting orientation, to what he considers a better option, “positive” parenting. He goes into further detail in regard to the lite and strong version of “positive” parenting and its core practices.

Primarily, Holden focuses on discrediting the traditional …show more content…

He explains the differences of these practices in comparison to the examples he showed of “corporal punishment”. In substitution of punishment, he encourages using humor, staying calm, avoiding punishments/rewards, and using “time-ins .”

I found the audio examples of various families provided to be quite intriguing and surprising. These parents were getting mad at their children for ridiculous reasons. It was alarming to hear how impatient the parents could be, but of course I understand how stressful life can be and how sometimes any little thing can set you off. It was interesting to see all the similarities within the examples and how at times most parents use corporal punishment for immediate compliance instead of using it to teach a lesson.

I also found Holden’s views on parenting to be a bit unrealistic. I think “positive parenting” is far better than “corporal punishment” but it isn’t as practical for everyone’s lifestyle. Holden, in my opinion, tried to make parents, that do use spanking as a punishment, guilty for how they raise their children. Some parents believe in tough love and the preparation it gives you for life. “Positive parenting” is a fascinating approach to parenting but it seems to only be realistic in a dream world. Issues arise like permissive parenting, too much stress on both the parents and child, and separation …show more content…

By avoiding conflict and avoiding punishment the child becomes accustomed to not receiving consequences. If this child were to step into a classroom and misbehave, teachers wouldn’t just overlook the issue, they would respond with punishment. A large part of life is actions and their consequences.

My second questions for Holden would be why he chose to study “positive parenting” and what his approach to parenting was for his children? I believe people’s opinions are formed by their own experiences. For example, how Holden was raised and how he raised his own children. Has he seen the benefits of “positive parenting” and has he experience any of its pitfalls?

My final question would be how the parents of the example reacted to their own recording and actions? Did they get to reflect on their parenting style and decide for themselves if that is how they want to raise their child? Sometimes we don’t realize what we are doing until we step back and see/hear it from an outsider’s perspective. I completely agree with Holden when he states that these parents could have handled these situations differently. I believed in a blend of parenting styles that create a loving environment but also discipline the child whether it’s spanking when necessary or talking it

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