3 positive discipline tips to use with your kids 

 

Yelling, spanking, and even talking down to children- we see it all the time, and many parents know that these methods don’t really discipline the child the way they are intended to do. Positive discipline is a new way of parenting kids that isn’t actually all that new, but it is making a resurgence as more and more parents are becoming aware of their actions and how they affect their kids. These discipline options are positive and help your kids more than negative tactics will. 

Talk to your kids 

It sometimes is as simple as having a good talk with your children. When you talk to them, you will be able to understand the reason behind the poor behaviors your child is exhibiting. Children are not inherently bad and don’t set out to misbehave. There is generally a reason they do misbehave, whether they’re frustrated, sleepy, or just don’t understand what you expect of them. By talking to them you will be able to identify the underlying issues and help to correct them before the bad behaviors ever start, which will help eliminate the need to discipline.

Reinforce positive behaviors 

Most times, children act up because they want attention- so only give them the attention if what they are doing is positive behavior. If a child throws a tantrum walk away from it. If they throw a toy, tell them that it is unacceptable, take the toy, and walk away from them. When they do something nice or good, though, praise them. Make a behavior chart and let them know where they rank on it daily so they can keep their positive behaviors going. 

Redirect 

Just like a broken record, “no” and “don’t do that” will go in one ear and out the other with kids because they hear it too much. Make them listen by changing what you say and changing their focus. Instead of yelling “no” at your child in the grocery store when you see them messing with things on a shelf, ask them to help you pick up things or put things in the cart. Tell them that they are great helpers and that by helping you they’ve cut down the shopping time so that you can all go do something fun instead of being stuck in the grocery store all day. This will make them feel important and they will want to help, plus they see a benefit to their good behavior. 

Children deserve respect just like adults do. When we show them we respect them. On some level they begin to understand that we are doing what is best for them. Be respectful of them even as you expect respect for yourself. Positive discipline tips can work!