Dr David Coleman: My husband is too harsh when dealing with our son, how do I get him to ease off?

If your other half’s parenting style is more old-style and authoritarian than yours, show them that there could be a different way to handle problems

'If the reader’s husband grew up in an authoritarian home, then his default, “instinctive”, way of rearing his children may also be authoritarian'. Photo: Getty

Dr David Coleman

“My husband uses old-style parenting, and his harsh approach isn’t working with our 11-year-old son. How can I get him to ease off?” I was asked recently.

The mother didn’t give details, but I wonder if the “harsh approach” she described may entail a lot of rules, a lot of punishments and perhaps a lot of criticism. Many Irish parents in their 40s and 50s will probably have experienced this kind of parenting when they were growing up.