Do you sometimes feel that your children never listen to you? Yeah, we all feel that way. Having the right amount of discipline is crucial yet easier said than done. You want to be strict enough that your children listen to you yet you still want to be the fun parent. Well, here are some tips that can help you in trying to achieve that balance.
Firstly, avoid yelling. Yelling rarely gets results and if it does get results it’s temporary. Try explaining why something needs to be done rather than yelling. Also, do give your child a set amount of time for a task to be completed. For example: Brushing their teeth. By now you should have explained why it is important for your child to brush their teeth and if you haven’t started from there. Once they understand that, give them the instructions (in this case brush your teeth up and down, etc.) and give them a time. If your child is still young and doesn’t understand specific periods of time, explain that you want them to brush their teeth before they get in bed. If you see that your child isn’t listening to you, this is where you need to mention the consequence for failing to do the task you asked. This way you would have warned them and they will be fully aware of what will happen if they don’t listen to you.
Once they follow your order a couple of times in a row, then you can say that you want this done every day before bed. You will probably need to remind them of the task you want them to do and the consequence they will face if they fail to comply for it to become a habit. Remember to always reward good behavior. Let them know you are proud that they followed your order or that they did something without you even needing to ask.
Do not argue back with your child. It is easy for temperatures to rise but children argue to overcome your power. This is where you need to be the bigger person and avoid going back and forth. Some behavior needs to be expected according to certain ages so do not expect too much from your child. Being a parent involves a lot of thinking on the moment situations and taking each one as it comes. Having some tips up your sleeve for the next time your child decides not to listen to you is crucial.
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If you sometimes worry that you aren’t a fun parent, this is the blog for you:
https://www.childcaremalta.mt/fun-parent/