Permissive parents

Module 04 Content Background Mr. and Mrs. Freedom are the permissive parents of 4-year-old Mark. His nanny notices the following behaviors: Mark demands cookies for breakfast and throws a temper tantrum when the nanny puts cereal on the table for him. He kicks and screams until either of his parents gives him the box of cookies. Mark refuses to return his toys to the toy box before bedtime. He screams at and hits the nanny when she sings the Clean Up Song. His parents don’t like to make him unhappy, so they ask the nanny to make it easier and pick up the toys. The nanny reads him a bedtime story and announces it’s time for bed, but Mark will run to his parent’s room where he is allowed to watch TV. They will bring him back to his room several hours later. Let’s examine some of the parents’ permissive actions that may influence these behaviors. Mr. and Mrs. Freedom love Mark very much and work hard to provide all the comforts of a home. As they are busy parents, they leave the upbringing to a nanny. They may feel guilty that they don’t spend a lot of time with him and may compensate by allowing him to do whatever he wants to make him happy. They both grew up in very structured environments and believe that young children should not have structure. Young children should be allowed to do whatever they want. In their eyes, there is no such thing as inappropriate behavior. Therefore, children should not have consequences for their actions. With a lack of structure, routines, and rules, Mark exhibits defiant and aggressive behavior. If this behavior is not guided, he will have difficulties when he enters a structured environment such as school. Your role as a caring early childhood educator is to look for ways to support this family in promoting Mark’s healthy social and emotional development.