‘I tried letting my children choose their own bedtime, but they didn’t sleep when I wanted them to.’
‘I tried respecting my children’s autonomy with food, but they didn’t eat when/what I wanted them to.’
‘I tried letting my children self-direct their own learning, but they didn’t learn what I thought was important.’
‘I tried letting my children pick their own clothes, but I didn’t like what they wore.’
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The above statements can be summarised by saying…
I tried giving my children freedom, but it didn’t ‘work’.
And when you say it like that it sounds absurd doesn’t it?
You can’t give someone freedom on the condition they still meet your expectations or else you will take it away. That was never freedom to begin with.
So no, you never tried freedom. What you tried was a different parenting technique that was ultimately based in control. ~ Sara, Happiness is Here