“Mischpoke” column: Do children need boundaries? And what should they look like?

If children show unwanted behavior, for example simply not wanting to listen, there is still a popular saying today: the child needs boundaries. Is that correct? Parents used to set boundaries in the form of prohibitions and commandments: you must, you must not. They defined what is good for children and exercised their power. Today it is about communicating personal boundaries as a parent and not setting arbitrary boundaries. Children need parents who are able to set boundaries. What do I need as a mother or father to feel good? Boundaries are an expression of what we want and what we don’t want and are based on our needs.