7 Effective Parenting Techniques to Improve Child Behavior

Effective Parenting

Ask any parent about the behavior and habits of their child, and most of them will start complaining that their child shouts, does not listen, makes excuses, lies, does not eat properly and the list goes on. But, we need to think before complaining: are we not responsible for most of these habits? Effective parenting is all about love and care for their little ones.

Case Study

Rakhi and Suhas’s son is five years old. Being the only child, he is pampered and spoiled. As he is growing up, Rakhi is complaining that he has started complaining about home-cooked food, his teacher complains that he has started lying and he is not listening to his elders as well. His teacher had asked her to be careful of her behaviour as a parent in front of her child so that he can also behave accordingly.

It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men ~ Dr. Frederick Douglass (Tweet this)

Introduction

The key to effective parenting begins with a positive atmosphere at home. The personality of our young children is like a plain white board which gets covered by marks from the personality traits and habits of the people around them. For children, families—especially parents—are their first school, where they learn and get inspired. As parents, whatever we do, say and how we behave with others becomes the way to be for our little ones. So, it becomes the responsibility of the parents to keep a check on how they behave and everything else will be taken care of.

Effective parenting can be extremely challenging but never give up. In the end, it will be well worth the effort! Remember to follow these simple rules while your children are around you and you will see the difference:

1. Do not lie – This is the first thing that you need to monitor as a parent, always be honest in front of your children, if they find out that you are lying or twisting facts, they feel that it is the right thing and it is alright to lie. First practice,and then preach.

2. Respect your elders – it goes without saying that we all respect our elders, but there are instances when due to some situation, we say or do something inappropriate and it is being watched by our children.

3. Never disrespect your child’s teacher – The teacher is someone who is responsible for molding your child into a responsible and good human being. If you want your child to have his academics and life skills in place, it is very important that he/she respects and follows what is taught. If you ever disrespect or badmouth the teacher or the school, the child will stop respecting them also and then the learning will also stop.

4. Treat the underprivileged with respect – Every human being deserves to be treated with respect. If you are nice towards your house help, your gardener, house-cleaner, or someone from the weaker section of the society, your children will also practice it.

5. Adopt a healthy lifestyle and healthy eating habits – Most parents complain that their child is not eating vegetables and fruits, and is inclined towards junk food. But—before complaining—what are your eating habits like? If you eat healthy, your child will surely follow suit.

6. Do not be addicted to television, mobiles or iPads – It goes without saying that all these electronic gadgets are an important part of our life and help us stay connected and updated. But, we also use them for entertainment. If we think that young children will not be able to understand this, we are wrong. Children learn very quickly. So parents, before your child gets addicted to gadgets, check yourself and try to be physically active and inculcate the importance of outdoor sports in them.

7. Respect each other – Last but not the least, do not talk to your spouse in a disrespectful manner in front of the child. If your child sees you doing so, he/she will lose respect for the one who is treated harshly. Surely, you do not want that to happen. So, be very careful.

Also read Help Children Learn from their Mistakes

Conclusion

Effective parenting is all about loving and learning to parent your child’s heart. An adult is a product of those habits and behavior—which are inculcated in him/her during their “growing up” years. That adult will pass on those habits to his/her child in the future. Also, the way our child deals with people around him/her will also depend on the same behavior. So, as parents your role becomes very crucial and you need to think twice before reacting to situation or people around you.

Each day of our lives, we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. ~ Charles Swindoll (Tweet this)

Become aware, be positive and nice to everyone around you. Be a good role model to your child and help them become better human beings!!

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About the Author

Varsha Tyagi is a Master's in Psychology with 5 years of Experience as a Life Skills Coach and a Counseling Psychologist. She has worked with many schools, colleges and corporates as a Counselor and a Life Skills Trainer and dealt with both children and adults. She is currently working as a Life Skills Facilitator with an organization.

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