As a result, it’s really no surprise that more than one-third of parents don’t think their methods of discipline work well, according to a 2007 study of 2,134 parents with kids ages 2-11. Fortunately, child experts have indicated that there are some common basics to positive and effective discipline strategies for parents. Here are a few techniques to try: Consistency is crucial to predictability when it comes to parenting. When parents are consistent in their reactions and consequences, they become predictable to their children. Their child becomes able to predict how they will react in specific situations. If you determine that they threw their cup because the straw was clogged, for example, you might assess a different outcome or have a different conversation than if they threw it because they didn’t want milk for a drink. Or, maybe they were mad at something else entirely, and this was how they handled it. By knowing the underlying cause, parents can then guide their child toward more appropriate behavior. But if an issue is important, parents should try to refrain from giving in to their child, even if it’s “just this once.” If you do this, then every time this particular issue comes up, your child will remember that you might just change your mind again and cave. While ignoring a screaming child is much easier said than done, they will eventually learn to associate good behavior with positive attention and praise, while learning that their bad behavior gains them nothing. Don’t give your child the opportunity to take advantage of your frazzled, mad, or emotional state. If you’ve made a mistake, learn from the experience by taking measures to stay calm, cool and collected the next time you feel anger starting to arise. When you keep your cool and take a voluntary time out, you are modeling this positive behavior for your child. Knowing how to calm yourself down is an important skill to keep practicing and be able to teach your children. If you’re checking out a new day care or preschool, take the time to ask about their disciplinary approaches. Parents may find that if they match their approach to the methods used at a child care setting, the results become more effective. The reason may be that kids respond to discipline tactics that are used with their peers. Consistency in discipline is important! Whether you choose positive discipline, boundary-based discipline, gentle discipline or another type, it is important to learn what each style is and choose the one that best fits your family and your parenting style.
