Children who are frequently threatened will become emotionally numb.

If a child refuses to eat, parents threaten to lock them in a dark room; if a child refuses to take their medicine, they threaten to take them to the doctor for an injection; if a child doesn't do their homework, they threaten to withhold their playtime… Many parents are disciplining their children through threats without realizing that long-term threats can have unpredictable consequences.

Many children simply refuse to sit still at mealtimes. Being picky eaters, they constantly try to avoid eating. Sometimes they jump onto the chair, other times they crawl onto the floor. After countless attempts at coaxing and persuasion fail, parents often resort to drastic measures like threatening their children.

Children will be frightened if parents overuse threats and intimidation.

Teaching children to be obedient is a major concern for many parents. Many admit to resorting to threats when their children don't listen. Depending on the severity and circumstances, the most common threats include: calling the police to have them detained, threatening to have a doctor give them an injection, or locking them in a dark room…

"I often threaten my child that if she doesn't eat, I won't let her go to the park or buy her a new dress. Or, if she doesn't eat, I'll film her and send it to her teacher to show to her classmates... At first, she ate readily, but only a few times, then she went back to her old ways!" one mother lamented.

Not all threats are wrong, but according to psychology experts, abusing this method of parenting can have unpredictable consequences for children. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hai Yen (Academy of Educational Management) believes that threatening children too much reflects parents' helplessness in raising them. "While the immediate effect might be obedience, in the long run, children will suffer severe psychological effects such as fear, lack of confidence, or emotional numbness due to excessive intimidation," Ms. Yen stated.

So what should parents do?

Parents should learn how to be friends with their children.

According to Master's degree holder Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, parents need to control their anger as much as possible and be very patient with their children. Here are some things parents should keep in mind:

- Be patient and persistent: Control your anger, and absolutely do not take your anger out on the child. Explain things to the child, analyzing the good and bad aspects. The child may not listen immediately, but gradually they will understand and obey.

- Be a friend to your child: Talk to your child before bedtime or while playing. Apologize for getting angry, but explain to them what was right and wrong. With older children, patiently explain the benefits of studying, encouraging and stimulating their potential and interests. When children are encouraged promptly, they will find motivation.

- Spend more time with your children: Instead of forcing them to obey, parents should listen to their children to understand what they are thinking. From there, they can find appropriate ways to educate them.

- Parents should talk to each other, find parent groups such as parent associations, neighborhood women's groups, etc., to share experiences and find the most suitable methods for educating their children.

According to PNVN