10 Ways To Improve Your Child’s Behavior
1. Acknowledge when your child does well.
2. Give incentives when appropriate.
3. Tell your child what to do instead, rather than saying “stop that” or “behave” without an explanation.
4. Model appropriate social skills.
5. If your punishments are ineffective or too harsh, try using incentives for positive behavior instead.
6. Set clear limits and expectations, and be consistent.
7. Emphasize relationship repair when you give consequences. It is important to make things right.
8. Try to be in the same room as your child when you give an instruction. Eye contact can be helpful to ensure that your child is listening.
9. Plan ahead to spend time with your child doing something fun or nurturing whenever possible.
10. Create some screen free time each day so that you can be fully present.
Tara-Anne Powell, M.A., R. Psych.
