How to Discipline a Stubborn Child Children tend to be stubborn during the toddler and teenage years. Sometimes, it is a part of their personalities that parents are required to manage and in other cases it is simply a way to test boundaries and assert their own freedom to do something or not do something. Teaching stubborn children to express themselves and deal with their stress in healthier ways is important. Discipline a stubborn child by remaining calm, listening to and understanding the child and setting a good example of acceptable behavior. 1-Observing a Stubborn Child 2-Stay calm. When you respond to stubbornness with anger or yelling, you are reinforcing the childs belief that negative behaviors work. 3-Watch how your child is acting. He may be refusing to do something or will continue doing something after you have told him not to. Determine what is making the child uncomfortable or resistant. Child development experts believe children become stubborn when they are stressed or tense and they do not know a socially acceptable way to express those feelings. 4-Remove the child from the situation. This might be a public place, where you child is refusing to observe rules or the dinner table, where she is not using proper manners or is refusing to eat. Give your child time to calm down. Once she is removed from the situation that brought on the stubborn behavior, you will have an opportunity to understand the real problem. 5-Listen to your child. Sometimes, instead of tricks or strategies, you just need to communicate. Remember that one cause of stubborn behavior can be that the child desires more attention from his parent. Give your child the time he needs to talk to you about what might be causing problems or anxieties. 6-Discipline with patience and affection. Children need to feel safe and loved, even when they are in trouble. Create a peaceful environment at home. If there is a lot of yelling, arguing or threatening, a child will adapt to it and become more stubborn. Behave the way you expect your children to behave. You need to be a role model. If your child sees you being stubborn, she will act the same way because it works for you. 7-Make positive behavior a privilege. For a child who refuses to do chores, try something like would you like to help me put the laundry in? Or, if you are a good listener today, I will let you set the table for dinner. 8-Demonstrate reward. Instead of saying you cannot ride your bike until you put on a helmet try as soon as you put on your helmet, you get to ride your bike. 9-Provide options out of stubborn behavior. If your child refuses to go to bed, instead of fighting it, offer several different options and your child can choose one. Set the scene for cooperation. Instead of announcing it is bedtime, say Its 8:00. Do you want to read a book first, sing a song or have a cuddle? This alerts the child to the fact that it is bedtime while offering enjoyable things to do as he gets there.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 06:09:17 +0000
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