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United Healthcare
Loving discipline:
It's a learning experience
Don't think of discipline as punishment. Rather, it's how you teach and
encourage your child to learn good behavior. Plus, giving little ones
structure and guidance helps them feel secure.
3 words to parent by
To help young children learn how to behave, keep these key words in
mind:
Caring
Children want your love and attention. But sometimes they learn that
misbehaving will get them what they crave. Show you care by making a
habit of catching kids being good. That helps teach them that behaving
well is the best way to get a smile, a hug or praise. Look for chances
to say things like "Great job sharing! I love it when you play so
nicely with your brother."
When kids do act up, make it clear that you don't like the behavior —
but you still love them.
Clear
Kids need limits. Try to keep your rules short, simple and
age-appropriate. And make sure children know the consequences of
breaking them.
Little ones will likely need reminders too. For example, maybe you have
two or three rules for how to behave during a playdate. Before each
get-together, go over them with your child.
Consistent
You'll have times that you'll need to correct bad behavior. It isn't
always easy to follow through on discipline. But if you don't, it can
be confusing to children — and make it harder for them to learn.
Stay calm. And remember that consequences work best when applied right
away. For a young child, a short time-out can be immediate and
effective. Set up a chair in a quiet space with no distractions. Here's
a good rule of thumb: Try one minute in time-out per year of age — as
in four minutes for a 4-year-old child.
One more tip: Don't give in to temper tantrums or other bad behaviors.
That encourages kids to act out to get what they want or to gain your
attention.
No parent is perfect
Loving, positive discipline takes time and patience. And you can expect
to mess up from time to time. That's simply part of parenting. Just be
willing to admit it — and apologize. When you do, there's a teaching
moment in that too. You'll be setting a good example of how to handle a
mistake.
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