Guiding Behavior From One -Three
Positive and Effective Ways to Change Your Child's Behavior
Setting Limits
- Setting limits is important because it's another way of guiding children toward appropriate , safe behavior.
When Setting Limits you should:
- Show an understanding of the child's desire
- Set the limit and explain it
- Acknowledge the child's feelings
- Give alternatives
It is important that you be consistent because parents who enforce limits strictly , will have a better chance of the child following the rules
Encourage Independence
When a child says "Me do it!" , it means they want more autonomy , which means more independence.
- Its important to have realistic expectations of what a child can do at a certain age , because not all of them can do what you would expect them to .
Ways to encourage Independence:
- provide your toddler with their own towel, washcloth , brush or comb, and toothbrush
- Add a step stool so then can cope with the adult size bathroom
- set up daily routines
Its important for your child to learn self-help skills because it increases confidence and independence
Promote Sharing
Help your child grow sharing skills :
- Engage children in activities that require them to share , such as playing on a see-saw
- Place them in situations where they must take turns , such as going down a slide
- Make clear what behavior you are trying to encourage
- Recognize and praise a child when they share or take turns
Deal with Aggression Behavior
Inappropriate or aggressive behavior says that a child is upset or that some need is not being met.
- Caregivers need to look for and understand the problem behind aggressive or otherwise inappropriate behaviors.
- It is often common for children from one to three to bite . If you child bite you or his/her sibling , simply look directly into their eyes and tell them not to bit and that its huts the person who has been bitten.
- If your child is hitting , kicking or shoving over a toy , you can simply create a distraction for them so they forget what they were mad at by suggesting that they color or something . Or you could do the more effective way which is a timeout.