Learn the best child discipline styles for children, positive behavior supports and how to deal with toddler behavior problems. Regardless of whatever consequences you choose to give your child, it takes discipline as a parent to consistently follow through for at least two weeks to really see results. Unfortunately, so many parents give up before then! I can tell you up front, parenting is hard and takes effort. There isn’t an easy road to take.
What you have to decide as a parent is not only what discipline styles work best for your child, but also what works best for you. You want the method to be something you are able to do consistently that truly impacts your child.
This does not include spanking, using a discipline paddle or any other item. These methods are not recommended, especially considering the studies that come out on a regular basis that link them to depression, aggressive behavior in children, and other mental health concerns.
So, I am going to discuss with you some different options to consider and you can decide what you think will succeed for you. Again, what’s most important is to remain consistent, follow through on your words, and when both parents are involved – be on the same page and work together as a team. Discuss these options together when making a decision.
One useful method of child discipline is time out for kids. This can be used for a toddler starting at about 18 months old or older children up to about 9 or 10 years old. When doing time outs, it’s important to understand it can take a lot of effort at first getting the child to stay in the spot, but persistence will pay off.
A time out should be one minute per year old and can vary in place depending on the child. For an 18 month old, you may choose to use a play pen or booster seat with a seat belt. Older children can have a designated chair in the corner, mat or a step. Learn more about this technique at the link above.
Another option on how to discipline children would be losing privileges, such as the ability to watch TV, play video games, or use the computer. Taking away toys is another possibility, but would require taking away those that are considered to be the most valuable to the child to be effective.
One of the negatives to taking away toys or losing privileges may be that your children are going to be less able to entertain themselves. This also may not be as effective with kids younger than 2 or 3 that aren’t able to entirely understand, unless the behavior is related to the toy/privilege. For example, if a child is misusing a toy then it is fitting to remove it from their possession for a period of time. If a child is having a temper tantrum because they have to stop watching TV, then you may not allow TV for the remainder of the day.
Although, 32 nations around the world have banned the use of corporal punishment for kids as a method of child discipline, it still remains legal in the United States and Canada. Despite growing research that shows the negative impact it can have on children approximately half of the US population recalls being spanked in childhood. Perhaps, this is because many parents have not learned other more effective ways of how to discipline children. Should you choose to use this as your method of disciplining kids? Check out the link above and then decide for yourself.
Although child discipline can be considered punishment in a negative sense, it doesn’t have to be. Simply providing consequences to behavior as a way to change those behaviors is important to start at an early age. For young children, this can mean taking away a toy that is misused or removing them from an environment in which they are failing to behave. You can learn more about responding to toddler behavior problems by clicking the link above.
Using the methods of child discipline provided may or may not be appropriate for children with autism, sensory processing disorder or Down syndrome. Parents and professionals have to take into consideration the cognitive abilities of the child and why the child is misbehaving.
If the behavior is the result of being in an environment that causes over-stimulation, such as loud noises, bright lights, or crowds of people, your response should be tailored to that individual based on their needs. Working with them on replacement behaviors, such as appropriate communication of wants and needs is a better option than strict discipline for behavior.
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