Kids Behavior

Parenting is a difficult, yet rewarding, challenge for most people. No two children are alike, so it is difficult to know exactly how to handle every decision and behavioral issue with your child. Everyone approaches parenting in their own way, often pulling from the experiences they had while growing up as well as the advice and guidance they receive from family and friends. There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong way to raise children, but there are different methods which have been proven to be more successful than others. Dealing with behavioral problems is a major challenge for most parents. What is the right way to discipline a child that misbehaves and does the severity of the action require different responses from the parent?

Questions Parents Ask About Kids Behavior

Does punishment or positive reinforcement work better to correct problem behavior?
What steps can you take as a parent to prevent negative behavior rather than simply reacting to it when it occurs?

These are all common questions that parents are faced with when deciding on the right way to handle behavior problems. Establishing a loving and open relationship with your child is the first step towards preventing problematic behavior and being prepared to deal with behavioral problems when they do occur.

Help for Parents to Implement a Child Behavior and Rewards System

Make sure you children know how much you love them.
Tell them every single day just how proud of them that you are and how much you love and cherish them for who they are.
Simply listening to your children and letting them know that they can come to you at any time, with any issue, can go a long way towards developing a relationship based on truth and trust.
Make specific rules and set realistic expectations in an effort to make a positive difference in the behavior of your children. Allowing them the ability to make decisions can also help them feel more involved with their own development.
Making a short list of rules which help to identify the type of behavior that is acceptable and encouraged from your children. Do not talk back, do not raise your voice when communicating with one another and clean up after making a mess. These are a few suggested rules that you can put in place to direct your child’s behavior, understanding of course, that you will also need to follow the same guidelines and lead by example.
Create routines, especially surrounding meals and bedtime. Ask them which pajamas they would like to wear to bed instead of simply telling them to get ready for bed. Give the a “five minute warning” before it is time to eat so that they have ample time to finish whatever they are doing before coming to the table. This can prevent a number of avoidable tempter tantrums and fits of anger.
Be sure that you are addressing the problem behavior of your child rather than addressing the child specifically. Don’t tell that that they were bad, but rather tell them that it was dangerous to run into the street without looking both ways. Follow that up by providing a viable alternative to the behavior your hope to correct.
Give your kids the freedom to make their own decisions and be their own person. Make sure, however, that they are aware that there are certain boundaries that they must work within. Empower them to make their own decisions.
Understand that positive reinforcement for positive behavior is even more effective than punishment for negative behavior. Be sure to offer praise and accolades where and when appropriate.
When your child misbehaves, your reaction to the situation needs to be immediate and logically related to the kids behavior. Often times, the natural result of your child’s actions will prove to be punishment enough, but it is important to make sure they are able to make the connection between their behavior and the result of their actions.
When drastic measures are required to address an extreme positive or negative behavior, strive to be swift with your response and be sure it makes sense in relation to the initial behavior. Sometimes, doing things all on your own just isn’t feasible or practical. Seeking the support and guidance of an outside party that specializes in child behavior development can go a long way towards grooming your children into self confident, secure and responsible individuals.