Early childhood is the time of great physical, mental and emotional growth. Parents must be aware that this is the critical time to establish some very basic rules. Put into place five essential expectations that your young child can comprehend and abide by. Mistakes are bound to be made, but this is the foundation of learning how to function in the home, community and world as a whole.
Listen
Listening well is the skill that most benefits your child through his entire life. Make it a rule that your child must stop what he is doing, be quiet and look at you when you or another adult needs to have a conversation with him. This is often difficult for children who are busy playing and learning, so it is a rule you'll have to reinforce very often. Be patient and you'll be rewarded with a child who learns the importance of good listening skills.
Respect Others
Another basic rule a child should learn is how to show respect for others. However, the instruction to "respect people" is one that requires explanation. For instance, you must give clear information such as "keep your hands to yourself" and "do not yell." Also, instill in your children the directive to consider everyone's feelings. Ask your child how she thinks someone else feels when she does or says something unkind. This helps teach your child to empathize with other children and adults.
Clean Up After Yourself
Keeping your personal space in order can be learned at an early age. Children should be taught to clean up after themselves as a primary rule. Say, "Let me help you clean your room so you will know how to," rather than just giving your child the directive to clean up a messy bedroom. This allows the child to model your actions so that he learns a specific method, rather than becoming frustrated by trying to accomplish this large objective on his own.
Basic Manners
Basic manners can be learned at a young age. Your child should live under the expectation that he behave with a certain amount of decorum at all times. This means eating with a fork and spoon, saying "ma'am" and "sir" to elders, and expressing gratitude and appreciation for compliments and gifts. This type of behavior might seem old-fashioned, but it goes a long way in teaching a child to be considerate of others. Good basic manners also make your child stand out in his peer group and increase the respect he receives from adults.
Share Feelings
Every child should follow the basic tenet of sharing feelings with her parents. This rule includes telling parents about negative feelings. Lynn Clark, Ph.D., author of "SOS: Help for Parents" says that the burden of bad feelings is reduced when children share unpleasant emotions with the adults in their lives. Sharing all types of feelings increases the loving bond between children and their caregivers. Talk with your children often to help them open up to you. Utilize the traditional family dinner to get the whole family to communicate their feelings as often as possible.
