Positive Discipline: Tips and Tricks For Parents- Part 1
There are fun and tender parts of parenting and there are hectic and stressful parts of parenting, such as when we have to discipline our children. Disciplining our children often falls into the less glamorous category of parenting. How we treat these situations will mold our children into who they grow up to be. Here are three tips to implement positive discipline with your children, from certain experts.
Understand The Meaning Behind Their Behavior
It’s important for a parent to take a minute to analyze why their child is acting a certain way. There’s usually a reason behind a child’s actions. Naomi Aldort, the author of “Raising Our Children, Raising Ourselves,” says that children naturally want to behave well but if they miss the mark, it’s not without a valid reason. “The most important [thing] is to realize that whatever a child does, we may label as bad, [but really] the child is doing the best he can. It’s our job as parents to find out why [he is] doing it,” says Aldort. “Once we know the valid root of the behavior, we can easily remove the cause or heal the emotions, and the child won’t be driven to behave in that way anymore.”
Focus On Controlling Yourself – Not Just Yourself
Sometimes it’s hard to keep cool and collected in the heat of the moment, but Dr. Katharine C. Kersey, the author of “The 101s: A Guide to Positive Discipline,” says that parents should model the behavior they want to see in their children. Lead by example. Don’t get mad at your child for yelling by yelling. Don’t punish them for hitting by hitting. “We should not do anything in front [our children] that we don’t want them to do.” Remember that it’s OK to walk away for a minute to collect yourself or take a deep breath and talk to ten.
Be Consistent In Your Discipline
Consistency is key when disciplining your children. Have a set of rules and stick to them so that your child knows you are serious and they won’t walk all over you. Aldort says that parents often overlook certain behaviors in the hope that it will pass. Adort says that it will not pass. If your child bites another child, you should hold her arm and tell her that is unacceptable behavior. If she continues, it’s time to remove her from the situation.
If children try to argue about rules, Fay suggests repeating a simple mantra: “I love you too much to argue.”
Thanks for reading our three tips for positive discipline in the home. Comment below if you have advice for parents and stay tuned for our next blog with 4 more tips!