Raising children is no easy task, especially when discipline is a concern. Defiant children make you feel that nothing you do is good enough, and may make you look at yourself as a bad parent. According to KeepKidsHealthy.com, misbehavior is not a sign of bad parenting or wrongdoing on your part. Children have different attitudes and personalities, so disciplining them requires a more personalized approach. Children who go through lifestyle changes, ADHD, oppositional defiance disorder or lack of consistent discipline may pose a challenge to any well-meaning parent.
Step 1
Set good behavior goals for your child. Offering treats or rewards for following the rules, making games out of cleaning time and praising your child for his good behavior will encourage him to strive to do the right thing daily, according to KeepKidsHealthy.com.
Step 2
Remain calm with your child when bad behavior occurs. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, bad behavior from defiant children is only worsened when the parent reacts with frustration, yelling and hollow threats.
Step 3
Remove privileges from your child when she misbehaves, such as removing video game or phone privileges for a certain amount of time. According to KeepKidsHealthy.com, this is an effective discipline tool for older children. Younger children are more likely to benefit from loss of bicycle or toy privileges for the rest of the day.
Step 4
Avoid making empty threats and being passive with bad behavior. Set limits for your child and consistently discipline him with time outs or loss of privileges when those limits have been met, each and every time. According to KeepKidsHealthy.com, inconsistency will confuse your child and make his behavior escalate in order to test you and other caregivers.
Step 5
Distract your child from bad behavior by changing the subject during the incident. While she may be screaming for ice cream, for example, inquire about her friends at school to ease her irritation. Distracting your child with subjects she likes to talk about will help keep her--and you--calm.
