Effective Ways to Discipline Your Children

We all strive to be better parents.  I remember when my oldest was little I was not very skilled at parenting.  I tried several different discipline methods before I found one that really worked.  After having four more children I have grown much wiser as a parent.  Below are a few ways that you too can be an effective parent through proper discipline.

Use an appropriate consequence for the behavior.

If your child misbehaves think about the action that he did and follow through with a consequence that fits the action.  For example, if he breaks his crayons don't take the television away instead remove his crayons.  If he is running around in the house a time out can be very effective. If your children are fighting during a car ride yelling at them may only make matters worse.  Next time this happens try pulling over and tell your kids that you will keep the car parked on the side of the road until they stop fighting.  This works especially well if your children are looking forward to the destination.

Always follow through.

I still have to be reminded of this.  If your child is misbehaving you must pay attention and always follow with a consequence.  If you ignore the behavior and don't take control of the situation this may just encourage her to continue misbehaving.  Being consistent will teach your child that you will not tolerate her inappropriate behavior.  

Use positive reinforcement to encourage good behavior.

You can not praise your child too often. Avoid using negative words when your child misbehaves. This can lead to a poor self esteem when he gets closer to his teen years.  Instead praise him when he is displaying good behavior.  If he makes his bed in the morning tell him that he did a great job and you are proud of him.  If he sits down quietly with a book tell him that he is a terrific reader and you appreciate the fact that he is being quiet.

Keep learning and never give up.

Don't let your frustrations due to your unruly child cause you to become lazy and give up hope.  Read the latest parenting books, blogs like this one and talk to other parents about their parenting methods.  Try new discipline methods for your child. Every child responds differently to parenting styles and tactics.  Taking away toys may work well for your daughter but your son may learn how to behave better with time outs. 

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