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No parent is perfect but here are some common mistakes
that parents make when disciplining their kids that can get in the
way of effectively teaching your child what behavior is acceptable
and what is not.
Not being consistent
If you don’t consistently enforce the boundaries and expectations
you have set for your child, you will set your discipline plan up for
failure. Your child will assume that since crossing that boundary
once was OK, you were not really serious about enforcing it.
Also remember your kids are watching you. If you tell them don’t
eat a cookie before dinner, do not let them catch you breaking your
own rule.
Yelling at your kids
If you yell at your child for his infraction, you’ll only
upset him and break your own rule of ‘No yelling at
anyone.’ Take a deep breath and calm down
before disciplining your child. Speak calmly about
infraction. Explain what behavior was unacceptable
and let her know what you expect in the future.
Giving a long-winded lecture
When disciplining young kids, keep the explanation
of the infraction short and age-appropriate. A simple
statement like, ‘We do not eat candy before bed’ is
enough explanation for a three year old. No need
to go into a lecture about how eating sugar before
bed causes cavities which then will have to be filled
by the dentist. You will quickly lose her attention and the point you
were trying to make will not register with her.
Using bribes too often
Instead of using a bribe like candy or a new toy to get the behavior
you want, try using praise and positive reinforcement to reward
the good behavior you observe. In addition, use statements like ‘I
am disappointed that you fought over the toy at the play date’ to
indicate behavior that needs improvement. Your child would much
rather receive praise than an ‘I am disappointed’ statement from
you, and you’ll probably find you don’t need to use bribes very often.
HOO’s PARENTING
Discipline
Mistakes to AVOID
1177
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