You might often feel exasperated with your children when they behave in an undesirable manner. Some parents give up, others yell, and some ignore their child's behavior. However these methods of parenting only stop the behavior for a short while. To truly amend your child's undesirable behavior, you need behavior management strategies that will help you to discipline your high spirited child into behaving properly at home, at school and around others. Patience, consistency and caring for your children will help nudge them in the right direction.
Positive Feedback, Positive Result
Giving your misbehaving child a responsibility works in two ways to amend her behavior. First, it keeps her busy and gives her a sense of purpose so she has less time and means to behavior inappropriately. The second lets your child know that you trust her. That trust can go a long way in showing your child that she is responsible for her own actions. You'll teach her about self-discipline and control, notes the Attention Deficit Disorder Association.
F-A-S-T Strategy
Teach your child about the F-A-S-T strategy for questions about behavior. Too often children get caught in the moment and don't think clearly about their choices. Teaching about F-A-S-T gives your child the tools to amend her behavior. 'F' stands for "freeze". Stop and think about what is happening. 'A' stands for "alternatives. Think about other solutions. 'S' stands for "solution evaluation" to think about whether the solution is right, and 'T' stands for "try it". Encourage your child to try the solution to see if it works. Reminding your child to "FAST" when you notice behavioral problems can help her stop and fix the behavior, noted LDOnline.org.
Natural Consequences
You may feel like you have to continuously punish your child for his behavior. However allowing natural consequences to occur can help your child see the deeper nature of his behavioral problems. For instance, if he constantly fights with a friend and the friend doesn't want to play anymore, you can point out to your child that his unacceptable behavior caused his friends to not want to play anymore. In some cases, the natural consequences provide a better learning opportunity than a time out.
Responsibility
Giving your misbehaving child a responsibility works on two ways to amend her behavior. First, it keeps her busy and gives her a sense of purpose, so she has less time and means to behavior inappropriately. The second is that it lets your child know that you trust her. That trust can go a long way in showing your child that she is responsible for her own actions. You'll teach her about self-discipline and control, notes the Attention Deficit Disorder Association.
Consistency
As a parent, your resolve may weaken when you become stressed, tired or simply worn out from your child's behavior. When your child misbehaves, he is testing you to see how far he can go. If you offer inconsistent direction and discipline, he'll know that he can easily push you to the edge where you don't want to deal with his behavior anymore. Firm, patient and consistent discipline for behavior management proves one of the most effective strategies of all.
