Daily Tips for Families

Today's Tip for Families

11-15-2022

Reevaluate Limits as Your Child Grows

Think of the things your child has outgrown this year—a pair of shoes, a jacket, jeans. When a piece of clothing is outgrown, it needs to be replaced.

How about the limits you set for your child? Those can be outgrown, too. But many parents never realize the importance of checking regularly to see whether the limits they've established still "fit."

The bedtime that worked in first grade won't work in fifth grade when your child needs less sleep (and has more schoolwork). Rules about phones, screen time and seeing friends also have to be changed as your child grows and matures and circumstances change.

There's no book to tell you what limits are appropriate for your child. In fact, within the same family, you might have to do things a little differently for each child.

Remember that if you relax a boundary and your child doesn't respond positively, you can always return to the way things were. You might have to say, "We tried letting you set your own time for studying, but that's the second time this week that you didn't finish an assignment. I guess we'll have to go back to our old rules for a while. Maybe we can try again in a few months."

Some families review the limits they set for their children on each child's birthday. Others choose the start or finish of a school year as the best time to make adjustments. If you haven't made any changes in your family's rules for a while, now might be a good opportunity for a review.

Brought to you by:

Gwinnett County Public Schools