Are You a Tuned-In Parent?

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

Q. 1) You are at the supermarket and your child has a complete meltdown because you refuse to buy some sweets. You:

a) Shout back. You are the parent – how dare he have such a fit in public.
b) Give in and buy the sweets – anything to shut him up.
c) Stick to your guns, but show you are sympathetic. Tell him you know how difficult it must be to see so many sweets and not have any.
d) Tell him you wish you could buy them all and build a huge castle made of chocolates and lollies. While you’re both laughing get out of that aisle a.s.a.p.
e) Drag him unwillingly out of the aisle, then complain loudly to the checkout girl about his appalling behaviour.

Q. 2) Your son screams, ‘I hate my little sister.’ You:

a) Contradict him, “Of course you don’t hate her. You love her.” And explain all the reasons why this is so.
b) Are shocked and tell him never to speak like that about his sister again.
c) Say something like, ‘You must be really angry with her,’ or ask him what has upset him.
d) Accept that children sometimes have strong feelings and you can’t squash this one down. It doesn’t mean he’ll hate her forever.
e) Panic. Aren’t they supposed to love each other?

Q. 3) The phone rings. It is an old friend you haven’t heard from in ages, but your daughter keeps interrupting and making it impossible to talk. You:

a) Angrily tell her to go away and keep chatting, apologising profusely for her dreadful behaviour.
b) Keep talking with clenched teeth and then have a real go at her after you hang up the phone. She has to learn that interrupting you is rude.
c) Tell her you know how badly she wants your attention, but that you’ll be with her in ten minutes because this call is important to you.
d) Realise she’s resorting to desperate measures because she really needs your help, so you tell your friend you’ll ring her later.
e) Lock yourself in the bathroom so you can talk without being interrupted.

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