When kids are born into this world, they know nothing about anything. It’s the responsibility of parents to teach them what’s right and what’s wrong. Disciplining kids is hard, especially if you are dealing with toddlers who are little humans but their demands are of the size of adults.
Remember how your parents disciplined you decades ago? They threatened us to ground us and take away our pocket money and we used to listen. Guess what, those tactics don’t work anymore. Now when we are parents, we cannot apply these tricks to our kids because that world doesn’t exist anymore. We cannot punish or spank our kids to get their attention.
Today I am going to tell you some of the practically best strategies to discipline your kids in 10 ways without punishing them and driving yourself crazy. Keep reading if you want to know how to do it.
Be a good example for your kids
Do you know that kids learn more by watching you? Everything that you do has a direct impact on what your kids will learn. Are you behaving the way you want your kid to behave? Are you setting a good example for your kids?
If you misbehave with somebody in front of your kids, you are sending a message that its okay to misbehave. You cannot be rude to somebody and expect your kids to be nice. Kids follow what they see, not what their parents say.
Stop instructing your kids all the time
Constantly telling your kids what to do and what not to do will put them under a lot of pressure. Stop instructing them when it’s not needed. Being a parent, you must know where you have to discipline your kid and when it’s okay to give them a free hand.
Give them space so that they can learn and grow without instructions. Too many instructions make kids stubborn and they act out.
Set boundaries and consequences if they misbehave
Many parents react after their kids misbehave or don’t listen to them. Consider setting boundaries before any situation arises. Your kids should know that if they misbehave, they are going to face consequences.
The reason for setting limits beforehand is kids should understand that manners are important and they cannot just skip behaving if they want to. They have to understand why they should behave. If you never told your kids why they have to behave, then getting angry with them later is of no use.
Stick to your rules
It’s easy to drift away from your word when your kid is crying and not listening. But you have to stick to your word otherwise there is no boundary. Your kids should know that when you say something, they have to listen. No further arguments! Want to utilize a reward chart? We have the perfect reward chart for you. Easy to use and effective for parents all year long.
Keep your spouse on the same page
Parenting means you and your spouse should discuss your kid’s matters together and stay on the same page. While disciplining your kids, you and your spouse both should have the same rules and tactics.
Talk to your kids
When your kid misbehaves, tell him why he shouldn’t be doing it. Instead of saying something that may hurt them, make them understand why this is not right. Kids should understand that misbehaving is bad because this is not ethical, not just their parents will be angry. Communicate with your kids and ask them why they yell or don’t listen.
Most of the times there is an underlying reason why kids act out. If your kid isn’t listening to you, there is a reason behind this too.
Keep your calm
Staying calm when your kid is talking back to you is not the best moment. But being a bigger person, you should stay calm. Get down to their level and make eye contact with your kids.
If you lose your temper, your kid will be scarred for life and you don’t want that. Be patient, keep your firmness, and remain calm when you are talking to your child.
Give your kids undivided attention
Kids misbehave when they don’t get enough attention from their parents. This is a kind of trick that may work in kid’s minds. So if you see your little one misbehaving, ask yourself this. Are you giving your full attention to him? Are you listening to him when he wants to talk?
Do not threaten when not needed
A lot of parents just threaten their kids without any reason all the time. If you think this is going to help, let me tell you that this will not help!
Telling kids that you will send them to boarding school or break their toys is not something a sensible parent would do. Of course, you will not do it but kids will realize that as you will not do it, they will not take you seriously. Save the threats for bigger reasons.
No physical aggression & do not hurt your kids
Decades back, parents thought it’s their right to spank their kids but not anymore. Now you cannot discipline a child by hitting them physically. Also, spanking only promotes violence and your kid will be scarred for his life. Your kid will not feel safer with you and will not tell you anything in the future.
Overall
Inevitably, discipline for your children is up to you. But we have listed some great ways that are can get you through the young years and into the teens!
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Toddler Discipline for Every Age and Stage: Effective Strategies to Tame Tantrums, Overcome Challenges, and Help Your Child Grow (Paperback)Hargis, Aubrey
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Great information on discipline kids. It may be tempting to treat your kids like they’re your best friend. However, kids need you as a parent to teach them as they grow. Disciplining your child and setting limits will instill confidence as they learn to navigate through life. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful article
I tell this to my husband all of the time too — like you have to be the adult and yes, you can be their friend sometimes and have fun, but there is a time when you can’t do that and if you cross that line it is REALLY hard to go back!