Dealing with a misbehaving child is one of the most frustrating things in life. It can leave you feeling tired and drained all the time, even when your kids are at school! What you need to do is to learn how to discipline a child correctly.
I have seen many parents completely turning their children's behavior around by using the simplest of disciplinary techniques. I have gathered all of the best techniques that are proven to work every single time and it's come down to these 7 tips on how to discipline a child.
Here are 7 tips on How To Discipline a Child
Stay Calm
Avoid yelling and screaming yourself, since this can teach your child that it's OK to lose control of yourself when you're not getting your way. If you feel like things are escalating too much, send your child to your room until you figure out what to do with him.
Focus on the Behavior, Not the Emotions
Don't say to your child "I want you to stop being angry." Instead focus on the misbehavior by saying things like "I want you to stop yelling." Make sure your child knows that it's alright to be angry sometimes, but that it's no excuse to start misbehaving.
Avoid Too Much Praise
Praising your child too much (especially for routine activities) can cause your comments to be less effective. It's important to know the difference between praising and approving. Praising is verbally saying things like "you did a good job eating those vegetables without complaining". When your child gets in the habit of doing that, you can approve by giving him a smile when he's done eating his vegetables.
Don't Only Focus on the Negatives
It's much better to say "I like that you've eaten your vegetables without complaining" than to say "Great, you've finally eaten your vegetables without complaining for once". See the difference there?
Avoid Physical Punishments
Spanking and other forms of physical punishments can make your child be fearful of his parents rather than learn from his actions. The only thing your child is likely to learn is how to avoid getting caught rather than changing his behavior.
Remember to reward and praise good behavior.
Bribes vs Rewards
It's much better to reward good behavior than to bribe your child into doing something good. A bride is rewarding your child before he did something and a reward is given after the good behavior.
Use these tips on how to discipline a child, and you'll notice changes is your child's behavior in no-time!