Raising responsible and well-mannered children is never easy. Parenting can be difficult, but regardless of how overwhelming it is, you should still strive to do your best to raise children well, so they’ll grow polite and have the right behavior.
Proper behavior won’t only make you feel proud, but it’ll also help your children be stress-free and happier. It also helps create a positive impact on their social and emotional well-being. It shapes them into becoming successful and responsible grown-ups.
If you want to start improving your child’s behavior, here are the strategies you can consider:
In This Article
- 1. Use Positive Body Language
- 2. Have A Behavior Chart
- 3. Maintain A Happy And Positive Environment At Home
- 4. Acknowledge Your Child’s Feelings With Empathy
- 5. Notice Good Behaviors
- 6. Be Open-Minded When Listening And Talking To Your Child
- 7. Communicate With Your Children
- 8. Use Consistent Discipline Techniques
1. Use Positive Body Language
When offering positive behaviour support for your children, always use positive body language. It may include a pat on the back, thumbs up, smile, or a high-five.
However, remember that every child is different. For instance, some children don’t like being touched and respond more to thumbs up than a pat on the back. So, before you use any kind of positive body language, it’s wise to know your child to determine what they prefer.
2. Have A Behavior Chart
It can be a good idea for many parents to apply the traditional reward system for their children. But, if you want something different, one of the best ways to discipline your child is to use a behavior chart or similar motivational scheme that will motivate your kids to behave properly and be rewarded. Just be sure to tailor one based on your child’s wants and needs.
3. Maintain A Happy And Positive Environment At Home
A child’s happy and positive disposition starts at home. So, ensure that you create this type of environment at home. Keep everything lighthearted and fun, even when you’re stressed out.
Try to be a good role model for your children. Increase the smile and energy often. This type of vibe can be contagious, and it’ll help your children develop a positive outlook.
4. Acknowledge Your Child’s Feelings With Empathy
When your children are nervous, disappointed, or embarrassed, try to be understanding. This is especially true if they’re doing something for the first time.
If possible, avoid saying things like “Stop making a fuss about it” or “it’s easy.” Instead, use empathetic statements and tell them that you understand what they’re feeling. Then, always reassure them that you’re there to help in any way you can.
5. Notice Good Behaviors
Like adults, compliments and praises are music to the ears of the children. Such things often make them feel good because you recognize their positive behaviors.
Unfortunately, it’s one of the things most parents overlook. Some parents tend to notice the negative behaviors more than the good ones. Therefore, rather than nagging your child’s stubbornness, acknowledge their good behaviors and let them know that you notice them.
You can also tell them about how you like their kindness towards their friends or siblings. This can encourage them to continue doing their positive behaviors in the future.
6. Be Open-Minded When Listening And Talking To Your Child
Never pass judgment on your children if their values, thoughts, and feelings don’t match yours. Although it’s okay to share your opinions, hurtful or unsafe behaviors are unacceptable, never make them feel wrong for sharing their opinions.
Children have to feel like they can be themselves and be open around adults. When kids feel like they made a mistake and won’t be judged, they’re more likely to talk to you when they have problems.
7. Communicate With Your Children
Another strategy to help improve your child’s behavior is to spend time communicating with them. Keep in mind that children will misbehave at any time because they don’t understand what’s wrong or right yet. Once you communicate with your children often about their behaviors, they’ll understand things better, enabling them to recognize what’s right and wrong.
8. Use Consistent Discipline Techniques
When correcting your children’s misbehavior, don’t correct or punish them in public. One of the critical actions parents can do is to speak to them in private and ask them what went wrong. Then, give them a warning. However, when explaining things to your children, keep it simple and clear, so they’ll understand exactly the bad behaviors they’ve made.
If your children continue to misbehave, put them in a designated place away from the rest of the family that has been selected for time-outs. Ensure that the child remains in a designated area for the entire time-out period. The time-out must not last more than several minutes. However, the children should not be allowed to play or talk during this time.
When the time-out period ends, explain to your children the reason why they’re disciplined and let them apologize. Consistency is essential when teaching and improving kids’ behavior, so this strategy must be used each time they misbehave after giving them a warning.
Conclusion
As a parent, you have the biggest impact on your child’s behavior. If your primary goal is to start seeing better behavior from them, the above strategies will come in handy. Just make sure to implement them properly and never hesitate to ask for assistance from professionals who can help improve your child’s behavior effectively.
