Curb negative behavior with positive discipline
As the summer lingers on, our parental voices get louder, "No…No…I said no!" Difficult behavioral issues seem to escalate. As parents, we are overwhelmed, and we only seem to have enough energy to yell, "Stop it!" We hand out the consequence of misbehaving, and we think the conflict is over.
We shouldn't be surprised when that same behavior shows up again. After all, if we only focus on the negative behavior, how will our child know what right behavior is expected? Children need to understand and practice right behavior.
When a child pushes his brother to get out of his way, we yell, "Don't do that! If you push your brother again, you'll have a time out. Tell your brother you're sorry." Of course, we are all too familiar with this scenario and are not surprised when it happens again.
We don't get far when we focus on negative behavior. Help your child understand the appropriate behavior. "Next time you're upset, show me how you will ask him to move…" When a child has the opportunity to practice acceptable behavior, we're more likely to see his negative behavior change.
Give yourself and your child a break this summer. Take a moment to help your child practice the acceptable right behavior. It will go a long way in training your child to respond appropriately when the next conflict arises.