Respecting these limits shows consideration for others. Because they have to be enforced every time they are broken, limits should reflect parents' deeply held convictions or values. Parents should be willing to stand by what they say. They should be willing to assert their authority when a child deliberately disobeys a limit. Parents who set numerous rules about trivial matters will burden their children with too many demands.
Children are more likely to respond to limits that are real priorities for parents.
Set reasonable limits In evaluating their limits, parents should ask themselves if their children can do what is expected of them. Insisting that toddlers keep their rooms clean or remain seated in a church pew for an hour are unreasonable demands for children at that age. Some expectations are unreasonable because they are not humanly possible to meet at any age. For example, forbidding someone to wet the bed during the night is unreasonable because it is impossible to have conscious bladder control during sleep. Telling a child not to feel sad, frightened, or angry is also unreasonable.