Topic - Should you ever discipline someone else’s child?
What happens if your playdate guest is a brat? Should you discipline someone else’s child? Yes, you should if the child’s safety is at stake. Consider these steps. Is the child coming over the first time? Then, get some ground rules from the parents and let the kid know in advance that those rules will be in effect and maybe a few more. Don’t go overboard with punishment. Talk it out and never get physical. Let small infractions go, especially if the kids are excited. Not saying “thank you” shouldn’t be a death sentence. Notice good behavior and tell them so. If the other kid is being rotten and your kid isn’t, point out what you saw later in private. Need to talk to the kids’ parents? Say that she had a tough time following the rules and might think I’m mean because I don’t do things the way you do. I didn’t want her to get hurt. Want them to come back to play? Ask the parent to come along and give you some pointers so everyone can have fun.
