Tips to inculcate discipline in your school going child
As Parents we all look forward to our kids going to school. It is the school which shapes the personality of your child and makes him/her aware of their talents and interests, which later can become their professional career. But this does not mean that your responsibilities are over in shaping your child's future. In fact, from here on, the real challenges begin for you. While your child gets education in school, it is you who have to constantly impart discipline and make him a responsible citizen. This can be sometimes very challenging. The first step is not to over pamper your child and spoil him/her. As a parent your responsibilities for your kid grow with your child’s age.
Here are certain approaches, which you can follow as a parent, to inculcate disciplinary attitude in your school going child:
1. Begin Early:
An early foundation always yields good results. Being a parent, disciplining your kid from a young age is the better way to go. If your kid does not realize the need for discipline at an early age, it becomes very difficult as he grows older. Complications can arise, worsening your relationship with your kid. Sometimes your kid's misbehavior can become a cause of embarrassment for you. Save embarrassment by teaching the primary lessons of discipline at the earliest.
2. Avoid punishment:
There are times when your child’s behavior is intolerable and you feel like smacking him. Hold off your harsh reaction right away. Punishing your child is the first step to strain your relationship. It must be avoided in any case because your child may be affected mentally.
3. Reward your child:
Observe your child's manners and if he/she does something admirable, reward him/her. It is easy for children to adopt to bad behavior as they meet other children and start following them without any thought. Hence, as parent you can encourage your child's good behavior by rewarding them and making them aware what is good and what is bad. However, that does not mean to pamper your child with costly toys and choclates, which can do more harm than good. A simple verbal appreciation is more beneficial and will make the child happy and boost his self confidence.
4. Set example:
Sometimes due to work load and financial stress, unneeded aggression catches you. But you cannot afford to behave unwisely before your kids. Try to talk in a lower tone and never get wild, under any situation while dealing with them. This way you are setting an example for your kid for him/her to interact with others under any situation. They will understand better and listen to you. Likewise don’t give empty threats that might worsen the parent child relationship; otherwise he might stop listening you.
5. Explain things:
You might think your kid is too small to have a serious disciplinary conversation. Give it a try. Children understand many things faster than an average adult. However, ensure not to make the conversation too serious and bitter. This could counter act and develop unwillingness inside his mind for the things you are saying.
6. Organize time schedule:
Establish a schedule that works best for your child. From going to school till the bed time, keep him scheduled. This would encourage discipline in his life and eventually he will learn to do things in time. Be consistent and firm and don’t let him push boundaries that you have constructed for him. Once your child gets accustomed to the time table, it will become a habit and things go easy for both you and your child.
7. Teach to respect others:
A well-behaved child is the one who understands the difference between respect and disrespect. Teach your child the difference. If he commits any mistake, tell him to speak politely. Make him acquainted with basic rules of respect. Displaying respect goes both ways. You child will automatically learn respect if you ensure to be respectful to others.
8. Give positive knowledge:
Avoid using negative sentences like "never, not, no”; instead use phrases like "do this”. For e.g.- rather than saying “don’t play with mud", you should say "doing that could ruin your favorite shirt”. He will ultimately listen to you. Positive sentences stay for long and furnish positivity in your child’s mind. Remember "don’t" is a half way solution in building discipline.
