Raising children is controversial, and everyone has an opinion about the best way to do it.

Well, Redditoru/NumanLoverasked, “What is consideredbad parenting, but it’s actually good parenting?”

Here’swhat people said, including members of theBuzzFeed Community and one of my own responses.

A young boy lies on his stomach on a bed, resting his head in his hands with a pensive expression. The background features a simple room

“Letting your child be disappointed sometimes.

Teaching children to handle disappointment helps build resilience.”

u/RandomRamblings99

3.

A young child with pigtails sits on a couch looking at a tablet. The child is wearing a striped shirt and jeans

“Allowing screen time.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but kids need screens.

They stop everything and cannot focus on anything else.

A child sits on a wooden dock, looking at something in their hands, with a lake and trees in the background

Kids used to screens tend to talk about what is on the screen or continue playing with their friends.

For example, one of my children uses a screen for AAC.

“Not sheltering them from every harsh reality.

Child doing homework at a wooden table with pencils, a ruler, and drawing cats in a sketchbook

They will need to know how to navigate the real world eventually.”

u/OkKnowledge1826

5.

“Allowing your kids to be bored sometimes.

Person playing the piano with focused hands on the keyboard. The person's face is not visible

“Leaving your kids alone for age-appropriate periods of time.

u/BananasPineapple05

7.

“Give your kids enough space to fail and then give a shot to figure it out independently.

Three children walk outdoors in a field during autumn. They wear raincoats and boots, and follow each other in a line. Trees and grass are visible in the background

When everything in life has been catered to your comfort 24/7, growing up is a huge blow.

That’s obviously just not how life actually works.”

u/Mirraco323

9.

A crying blonde toddler standing in a crib, holding onto the edge with both hands

“Strongly encouraging your kids to see things through.

And it’s okay to be bad at things, too.

When you stick with something, you often learn the basics and really start to enjoy it.”

An adult helps a young child wash a plate at a kitchen sink. The child is focused on cleaning with a cloth while the adult gently guides them

u/D4YW4LK3R86

11.

“Treating siblings differently in some ways.

I don’t mean having a golden child and a scapegoat.

A young child climbs an indoor ladder attached to a wall, wearing a short-sleeved onesie. The room has a wooden floor and a door on the right

One might need more support for their social life than the other.

“Arguing in front of your kids.

Many parents think it’s bad to argue in front of their children.

A baby's hands reach for food in a sectional plate containing avocado, hard-boiled eggs, cucumber sticks, and grains

When you argue in front of your kids, you’re teaching them that sometimes people disagree on things.

When you sort out the argument, you’re demonstrating conflict resolution.

Granted, this only works if you’re arguing about reasonable things in a calm, mature way.”

u/RhynoD

13.

“Letting babies cry it out.

When my daughter was younger, I was distraught over the idea of nap training.

I was totally afraid to let her cry for longer than a few minutes at a time.

“Ignoring when your kid is having a tantrum.

u/supermariobruhh

15.

“Making your kids help with chores from an early age.

This is just teaching good habits and skills down the road.

Ironically, because of this, I became a really good cook because I HATED doing dishes.”

“Not trying to be your child’sbest friend.

Kids won’t always love what you say.

u/wolfyfancylads

17.

“Letting kids engage in age-appropriate risky play.

Trying to protect them from everything is bad parenting.

Let them climb, run, jump, dig, throw, etc.

“Refraining from encouraging kids to eat everything on their plates.

Regularly forcing kids to eat past their feelings of ‘full’ leads to long-lasting issues with overeating.”

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.