OE


The "while" that starts this sentence sets up a contrast: Abdul is worried that he's being too "lax," or easy-going; this same laxness is why his kids love him so much. "Permissiveness" (providing a lot of freedom, possibly too much) matches this meaning. "Complacence" (self-satisfaction), "satisfaction," and "equanimity" (calmness) don't mean easy-going, and "sternness" (very serious, expressing disapproval) is the opposite.