“All of you young people should obey your elders. In fact, everyone should be humble toward everyone else. The Scriptures say, “God opposes proud people, but he helps everyone who is humble.”
-1 Peter 5:5 (CEV)
What does “bossy” mean? The Cambridge dictionary defines it, when applied to a person, as someone who “is always telling people what to do.” As a mother of two sons, I can readily admit that one of them exhibited “bossy” behavior more often than the other. This type of behavior can be very challenging to parents, siblings, friends, and others who have any form of interaction with a child. What we do not want to do is squelch any leadership tendencies, but this behavior must be addressed. What can parents do? This blog post is from a Christian’s perspective and relies on scripture from the Bible.
Here are some helpful tips:
Do not allow your children to get away with bossy behavior. Often, people will comment or laugh and say, “She is so cute when she does that!” or “He just has a quick temper.” Bossy behavior should not be ignored or tolerated or laughed at.
Use scripture to guide your discussions and discipline. Read and talk about various scriptures with your children. In this blog post, I quote 1 Peter 5:5 (CEV) which stresses that children should obey their elders and be humble. Remember that you are the parent and remind your children of that.
Children should also honor their parents. “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12). Other scriptures that admonish us to honor our parents are Colossians 3:20, Ephesians 6:1-3, and Proverbs 30:17.
Stop and talk with your children so that they can learn about empathy. If you are watching a television show or movie, and someone is being “bossy” or picking on someone else, stop it and speak with your children about what is happening. Ask them to think about how the other person feels. Also, when reading a book, you can do the same thing. The importance is to focus on the wrong behavior that someone else is exhibiting and speak to your children about it so that they learn.
Do volunteer service together as a family. Children will learn about those who may be less fortunate than themselves and the importance of being kind and loving to others.
To learn more, please visit:
https://www.cornerstonesforparents.com/bossy-child
https://www.faithfulmotherhood.com/not-the-mommy-challenge-of-sibling-authority/