It goes without saying that you care very much about how you interact with your children and how you raise them. Parents that struggle with their parenting responsibilities negatively impact their children. Harmful experiences during childhood can be very damaging to your child's developing brain. You can mitigate this by improving and adapting your parenting skills.
We've rounded up 5 ways you discipline your child in a positive manner.
1. Always Be Respectful
A lot of the time, our children's misbehaviour comes from a range of things, one being your child depending on their age can be too young to control their impulses. So even after you've repeatedly told them not to do something, they still do it! Oh, how frustrating!! It's important to remember in these times that your child's brain is still very much developing. "Be kind and firm at the same time!" is the way to go as you will do three things, show "kindness to your child", and your "firmness will show respect for yourself and the situation". Remember to keep your cool and be calm as you talk to your child.
2. Redirect, redirect, redirect!
As you know by now, children have varying abilities to regulate their emotional states. These situations can often result in temper tantrums. These tantrums are an overwhelming and outwardly expression of their frustration. The best way to release? kicking and screaming of course! So the next time you're in the supermarket, and your little one is starting to act up, why not enlist them to help you pick things off the shelf! Redirect their attention and use this opportunity to stop a tantrum before it happens!
3. Give your child choices.
Sounds simple, but really effective. Allow your child to make some good choices! For example, say that getting ready to go out leads to a big fuss about putting on shoes. Give your child two choices, "Do you want to wear your crocs? or do you want to wear sneakers?" This small act of giving your child a choice, shows respect for them, their thoughts, and feelings. Studies have shown that parents who offer children choices create a much more cooperative environment. Their child views their parent as an ally.
4. Focus on a Solution.
Instead of harping on what has happened, focus on fixing the situation. Yes, after you've made your child aware of the consequence. Shift the focus on a solution. This creates a better outcome for all parties involved as you move forward to finding a resolution. This also reduces the chances it will happen again in the future. For example, if your child is taking too long to get ready to go to school, may he or she struggles with putting on their uniform. A solution-based approach would be "setting a timer" or making adjustments to their uniform so they're able to get ready on time.
5. Always praise good behaviour!
The idea of positive discipline is centered around children learning from their mistakes. When you praise good behaviour, you re-enforce appropriate behaviour from your child. Parents start to see a decrease in negative behaviour. And it feels good for both parent and child. It strengthens the parent-child relationship.
Try these techniques and see how they work for you!
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