Parenting 101: Netizens argue if grandma scolded toddler too harshly

To scold or not to scold? That is the question parents may ask now and then.

Dealing with mischievous children can be tricky as there's always an impulse to reprimand them if things get out of hand.

TikTok user Angeliaruth shared, on Monday (April 3), a 26-second clip of how her mother-in-law dealt with her son being disobedient. 

It looks like grandmother's dressing-down was down to him not wanting to listen to her instructions.

"Next time I ask you to read the Bible, you come and read," she said in a stern tone. "Yes or no?"

The scolding continued as she chided her grandson for always asking to play or eat, but not wanting to pray when told.

All the while, the young boy is seen pouting with his head lowered, looking sad (but adorably so).

Tiny finger movements on the playmat were all his grandma got in terms of a response from him.

In the comments section, netizens couldn't help but adore the toddler for his (lack of) response to being scolded.

"It's the finger movement for me," a TikTok user wrote, adding some laughing emojis for good measure.

However, this short clip seems to have also opened a can of worms on the topic of how to discipline young children who misbehave.

There were a number of commenters who felt the grandmother was being too harsh on the young boy.

A TikTok user even went as far as to claim that this can be considered as "passing down generational hurt".

This point was rebutted by a fellow netizen though.

"Sometimes we have no choice but to scold so that we won't spoil them," the user commented.

In her caption, Angeliaruth did mention that "normally, we don't scold him like that". It was simply a matter of wanting to be "firm and discipline him", she said.

AsiaOne has reached out to Angeliaruth for more information. 

Styles of parenting

When it comes to parenting, people have their own ways and opinions on dealing with children when they misbehave.

And Angeliaruth's short video is just one of many examples of how parents, in this case grandparents, would choose to go about correcting a child's behaviour. 

Some would describe strict, perhaps more traditional, ways of reprimanding as "authoritarian parenting". 

This style could be seen as a harsh approach and prioritises compliance, punishment and control, so telling a child off is a common method.

There's also the authoritative style. While both styles are comparable, in that they set high standards and rigorous guidelines, authoritative parenting tends to encourage young ones to ask questions when they don't understand something.

Authoritarian parenting, on the other hand, expects children to remain silent and strictly abide by the rules.

On the other end of the spectrum, there's gentle parenting, which is described as a means of parenting "without shame, blame or punishment".

This collaborative approach to parenting involves guiding children with consistent and compassionate boundaries, rather than a firm hand. 

ALSO READ: Raising future gentlemen: Teaching your son to respect women and girls

amierul@asiaone.com

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.