Managing child behaviour through positive parenting

Every day, parents and carers in the world have to deal with children's behaviour which sometimes can be, let's say... quite challenging! You need to get them to school and they don't want to get dressed, you want to cook dinner but your clingy toddler is pulling your legs and making a big fuss as they want to be picked up, you need to do some shopping but they decide to have a master fit in the middle of the supermarket... yes, it is a big challenge! But not an impossible one as you can see below.

Babies, toddlers and older children will repeat actions that reward them with a positive reaction. If parents smile when babies coo and babble, the babies will continue to coo and babble. The idea that parents can lead their children's behaviour by using positives, rather than orders and giving punishments for bad behaviour can be very empowering - children can be taught to be helpful and respectful without feeling upset or bullied into good behaviour.

Parents and carers decide what goes on in their households and choose what kind of disciplinary methods they will use with their children. Creating a happy household where children are taught to behave by being rewarded for their good choices are much more enjoyable to be around that those in which the parents are constantly noticing and pointing out the naughty moments. Kids have a tendency to believe the things their parents tell them, so showing kids that they are good and worthy is far better than sending the message that they are unkind and disobedient.

As children grow up and develop an idea of right and wrong, parents can look for opportunities to send their kids positive messages. Toddlers tend to respond well to hugs and cuddles whilst older kids love to be praised on their behaviour and creativity. Most kids enjoy a physical reward for good behaviour. Rewards such as star charts seem to be a parents' favourite as they seem to work particularly well at encouraging good behaviour.

Both parents and kids can choose and decide what goes on the chart list from chores to expected behaviours. As children complete their tasks or show the positive behaviours they earn a star that will be placed in the appropriate spot on the chart. When the chart is totally filled with stars, children earn a reward which can be anything from a small toy to a treat or a fun outing. However, parents must not forget to show how proud they are and to praise their children.

Parents can have a very busy lifestyle with working outside the home and spending their non-working time doing house chores and running errands. This can leave the parents feeling worn out, both physically and emotionally which increases the likelihood that they will be more impatient and short-tempered at times. Although most children will learn to understand that parents have their own troubles, using more yelling and punishing than praising and rewarding is not a healthy discipline for the kids. Especially with very young children, it is very important to start them off with the feeling that the world is a safe and welcoming place by being warm and nurturing to them. These will help them grow to be positive-thinking, confident adults. Children are little for a very short time and parents should remember to stop and look at how wonderful and cute they are, and, of course, share that information with them.