There is no manual that can help one become a perfect parent, it’s all a matter of learning on the go and seeing what works best for your child and family. But there are some tested ways we can implement in our household to prevent misbehaviour in children, even before it starts. Here are 7 tips that can help you to prevent misbehaviour in your children:
Connect With Them Through Positive Attention
There are so many things for a parent to do that giving positive attention to their child often doesn’t make the cut. We’re not saying you’re neglecting your child, positive attention basically means giving them your undivided attention for a specific amount of time. It may not seem much for some parents but for those who have multiple kids and are balancing both, house and work on their own, it could be a big deal.
Spend some time with your child without the distraction of devices. Play with them, or go out for walks with them, or even let the child choose the activity if that’s possible. This positive attention will help you form a better connection with them. Kids who are given positive attention are less likely to whine, ask the same questions again and again, or even misbehave, and they understand negative consequences like time-outs much better.
Provide A Structure And Schedule
Create a schedule for the everyday activities for your kids. Set time for everything like chores, studies, play-time, time on devices, etc. When kids have a structure, they are less likely to misbehave.
Set Rules And Explain Consequences Ahead Of Time
Create a written set of rules and practice them predominantly in your household. When they understand your expectations they’re more likely to follow the rules.
It is also important to make them understand the consequences they’ll have to face if they don’t follow the rules ahead of time. For example, if you’re going out to the store, let them know that if they run around, they’ll have to sit in the car for a time-out.
Setting simple rules like this with simple but effective consequences can help to modulate the behaviour of your child.
Praise Good Behaviour
Just like it’s important to have consequences for negative behaviour, praising them for good behaviour is equally important. Offer your praise verbally. When you notice good behaviour, praise their efforts as well if you want that good behaviour to be repeated.
You can also set a reward system. Rewarding them with something they appreciate like 5 minutes of extra gaming, or a treat they enjoy sometimes, can also be a good way to praise their good behaviour and motivate them to continue it in the future.
Help Them Understand Emotions
Just like us kids also feel a lot of emotions but they don’t necessarily understand what they’re feeling, and hence they act out by misbehaving. When they understand their feelings, they are more likely to control them. A simple example could be if your kid is upset, ask them why it is so and make them understand how they can feel better, or just give them a hug and some positive attention.
Help Them Find Calming Strategies
Just like us, kids also need to destress and re-energize. This is also where positive attention comes into play. When you’re more attentive towards your child, you’re more likely to notice what’s stressing them out and how they are dealing with it.
Teaching your children simple ways to calm themselves like mindful breathing could have a big impact. Practising such techniques will allow them to manage their stress and energy better and reduce their chances of misbehaviour.
Regulate Your Own Emotions
This is common knowledge that kids learn from what they see. If you let your emotions influence your behaviour, your child will likely do the same, hence leading to misbehaviour.
You need to regulate your own emotions and practice healthy ways to deal with them so that your kids can learn to do better from you.
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