While parenting can be fun, playful, and exciting, it is not always a fun and easy job. There are times when parents need to discipline their kids. Every parent has to deal with this and it is an important part of parenting because it can help teach your child to behave properly.
While every parent has to discipline their children, there are a few ways that may just make matters worse. Spanking and using harsh words are certainly not the best way to discipline your child, and not disciplining at all can be just as bad. While there are many methods you can use to discipline your child, there are some that are better than others.
When you first have to discipline your child, it can be hard. What if they cry? What if they lash out? What if they misbehave even more? What if they tell you they hate you? These are all things that parents fear and they make it difficult to discipline your child when the time finally comes. But as we already mentioned, disciplining is important in raising a well-behaved child who understands manners and how to act in a variety of situations.
At Inch By Inch Child Care in Bedford, we understand how difficult disciplining a child can be, but we also know that it is important. Our child care center is based around the idea that we are all family and we care for every child in our center. We work with our students on proper behavior and teach them how to respect and care for their peers. But this doesn’t always mean they will be on their best behavior. Kids will be kids after all!
We wanted to help parents, especially parents who are experiencing everything for the first time, learn the best methods for disciplining their children. While every parent will have their own methods, we wanted to give you a few ideas that you could try that are shown to be effective and lead to a more positive outcome! Read on to learn more and contact Inch By Inch today to learn about our child care center.
Time-Out
Time-out is a classic and a great way to discipline children. It can teach children to learn how to calm themselves down, which is an extremely useful skill to have both as a child and as an adult. Depending on how old your child is, their time-out session can be longer, a good rule of thumb is to add a minute for each year of age, whether you start with a base time of five minutes or you simply just put your three-year-old in time-out for three minutes is up to you.
You can also let your older kiddos try to regulate their own time-out. You can tell them that they have to sit in time-out until they feel calm and in control. This will help them be able to better understand their emotions and temper.
When your child has positive experiences with you and gets constant love and affection from you, being removed from that situation and not having your attention will be uncomfortable for them and will be a good reminder that behaving well can help them avoid these situations.
Ignore Some Misbehaviors
There are some misbehaviors that are not as drastic and don’t need as much attention as others. If your child is not doing anything dangerous or inappropriate, it is okay just to ignore it and let them experience natural consequences. If they are throwing their toy, they may end up breaking it, which means they are no longer able to play with it. This will teach them to play more gently with their toys.
Some behaviors may be because your child is seeking attention. If they are whining or throwing a tantrum just to get your attention, just ignore them. Pretend you don’t hear them and do not respond. This will teach your kiddo that they can’t get what they want by misbehaving. When they decide to ask nicely or behave better, give them your attention and thank them for asking nicely. This will help them realize that being polite can help them get what they want more than bad behaviors.
Take Away Privileges
Taking away something that your child loves when they misbehave is another great and effective way to discipline your child. Whether it’s TV, their favorite video game, a toy, or a fun activity, your child will hate not being able to enjoy some of their favorite things. They will learn quickly that they should not misbehave if they want to keep these privileges.
When you give your child back these privileges is up to the parents, but there are a few methods that can work well. One method is to set clear expectations and how your child can earn their privileges back. Telling them that they can have their toy back tomorrow if they clean their room the first time you ask is one method that works well.
An article from All Pro Dad mentions that not giving a time limit is a great option as well. Simply tell your child they will get the privileges back when they start behaving better. If you tell your child that they lose TV for a week but give it back after a day, they will think they can get away with more bad behavior with less consequence.
Choose Logical Consequences
Another method of consequences that can help discipline your child is by giving them consequences that are tied to the misbehavior. For example, if your child doesn’t pick up their toys when you ask, take them away for the rest of the day. If your child doesn’t eat their dinner, don’t let them have dessert. Since the consequence is linked to the behavior, it will teach your child that the choices they make have direct consequences. These logical consequences can help make a better connection between your child’s misbehavior and the repercussions.
Notice Good Behavior
One of the best ways to teach your child to practice good behaviors is to notices, praise, and reward the good behaviors. When you notice your child doing something good, let them know that you noticed and that you are proud of them for their good behaviors. If they help their sibling with something without you asking, praise this behavior and reward them.
You can also give your child incentives to behave better. If they misbehave in school, tell them that if they behave well every day of the week, you will take them to get ice cream on the weekend. This is a reward that will keep them motivated to stay on their best behavior. And if they mess up, they will be upset with themselves for misbehaving.
We hope these tips help you better understand how to properly discipline your child. This is never a fun part of parenting, but it is an important part and can help your child learn how to behave properly.
If you are looking for a child care center that focuses on good behavior and respect for peers, be sure to learn more about Inch By Inch Child Care in Bedford. We would be happy to give you a tour of our facility and answer any questions you may have! Contact us today.