Are You a Commando Parent?

Find out where your strengths lie. There are no right answers. Click on the ones that sound most like you.

Q. 1) It is time for bed and your daughter is still watching TV. Every night she says, ‘I can’t turn it off now. This one’s my favourite.’ You’re sick of it. You:

a) Ask her five times to turn it off, and then start shouting at her. Then feel guilty for losing your temper.
b) Say, ‘You know the rule. No TV after 8 o’clock.’ Then stand your ground until she turns it off.
c) Give her options – more TV or a story, but not both.
d) Drag her out by her arm, kicking and screaming. You have to resort to this because nothing else works.
e) Tell her that every minute she delays will be deducted from her TV time tomorrow. Then stick to it.

Q. 2) It’s mayhem at dinnertime. Your son jumps up, reaches over the table and spills his drink. You:

a) Shout, ‘You are so clumsy! How many times do I have to tell you to keep your bum in your chair?’
b) Look at him and say, ‘Cloth,’ in a matter-of-fact way.
c) Ask, ‘Would you like a paper towel or a sponge to clean that up?’
d) Clean up the mess. It is so much quicker and easier to do it yourself.
e) Stand and wait until he does it. You mean business.

Q. 3) The hamster cage needs to be cleaned. Your children know they have to do it every Sunday. You:

a) Remind them over and over, throughout the day, getting increasingly irritated. Why do you always have to shout to get anything done?
b) Leave it. They know the rule and you’re sure they’ll do it before the day is over.
c) Thank them, in advance, for cleaning out the hamster cage.
d) Threaten you’re never going to buy another pet because they can’t look after this one properly.
e) Describe what you see: ‘I see a poor little hamster in a very smelly cage.’

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