The difference between a child who displays home training and the one who doesn’t is, home training! Like every kind of training, some teaching and learning are required. Patience is also key. Here are a few tips for teaching children discipline.
Set-up Structure
The beautiful thing about young people as it pertains to discipline is that you have a fresh canvas to paint on. A strong mindset has not been developed yet so it’s easy to teach them. Let kids know what they need to do per time. Write it down and place on somewhere they can easily see it. E.g., Saturday 8-10AM, tidy bedroom and wardrobe. This way it’s stored in their memory.
Have Conversations Around the Matter
Let your child know what you expect from him/her. Growing up in a Nigerian home was tough for most of us. It was almost as if you had to read minds, maybe it made us more intuitive. Yet, its far more productive to talk with your children about certain disciplines you expect from them usually before they get it wrong. E.g., when a visitor is in the house, do this, don’t say that.
Model it for Them
You’d agree that it is difficult to take instructions from someone who cannot or would not do what they keep insisting you to do. Display how certain tasks are to be done. Occasionally, do it for them. Basically, be an example.
Acknowledge Their Efforts
There’s something in all of us yearning for attention and praise. When something gets done especially in an exceptional way, appreciate it. Don’t just make a side remark, say, “wow, your room is sparkling, well done!” If they miss it, correct in love.
Set-up Reward Systems
Knowing the reward for one’s actions is usually good motivation. E.g. whoever does all their chores gets so and so by the end of the month. Whoever doesn’t, gets the short end of the rope. It works!
Give it Time
No matter how big your child looks or the level of maturity he/she displays, a child is still a child. This means that they are still learning. So, saying something once may not equal to a permanent impression. Repetition is necessary. You will need to keep enforcing. Be patient with them too.
This is the last of our Back to School series. Hope you’ve enjoyed the posts.