Your child's bad habits and behavior can become very annoying. The task of breaking bad behavior can be challenging, and at times feel impossible. According to the University of Michigan Health System, often when your child misbehaves, it is because she may be feeling stressed, overwhelmed, unhappy or tired. Her bad behavior is simply her way to cope when she is not feeling at her best. The key to disciplining your child is to teach her how to choose good behaviors. Although managing bad behaviors can be difficult, they are usually just phases, that she will outgrow as she gets older.
Step 1
Ignore bad habits and behavior. The University of Michigan Health System advises that when you yell or call attention to bad behavior, that it may actually increase the behavior rather than work to stop it. This method will take time before you begin to see results.
Step 2
Introduce a new behavior to your child that you would prefer. Your child will often do as he sees others do. Modeling good behavior will encourage your child to do the same thing. For example, let him see you cleaning your bedroom, and then assist him with cleaning his.
Step 3
Put your child on timeout. Decide what behaviors would warrant a timeout. If your child misbehaves, give her a warning first. If she continues to misbehave, put her on timeout for one minute for each year of her age. Use a timer to keep track of the time, so that she knows when timeout is over. If she leaves timeout before she is allowed, gently return her to her spot, and reset the timer.
Step 4
Reward your child for his good behavior. Not only with this will boost his self confidence, but it will show him what behaviors you expect of him. Let your child know the things that you will be looking at throughout the day, so that he will know what he needs to do to be rewarded. Also let him know what the reward will be. For example, tell him that if he picks up his toys after he's finished playing with them that he can stay up an half hour later. Only request the behavior one time. If he does what you have asked, then give him the reward.
Tips and Warnings
- Do not use physical punishment. This type of punishment may stop the behavior for the moment, but it will not teach him how to change his behavior. In addition, it can cause him to act aggressively. (See Reference 2) Be patient with your child. (See Reference 1) Do not talk about your child's bad behavior in front of her peers. This will only lower her self-confidence, and possibly make the behavior worse. (See Reference 3)
