There are no ideally obedient children; little pranks are the attributes of any childhood. However, many parents are puzzled by the question: is it worth punishing a child for a misconduct? After all, many adult rules simply do not work for children.
Psychologists say: physical punishment is unacceptable, it breaks the child's psyche for many years to come. Screaming and jerking gestures only thin the thread of the relationship between parents and children, especially if the mother is yelling at the child in public. Putting the child in a corner is also not an option - it is perceived as a restriction of freedom. The more restrictions, the more keen the desire to win back your opinion.
How to explain to a child that he is wrong? Verbally, choosing my words carefully. Here are five basic ways to control children's behavior without psychological or physical punishment:
1. Set and negotiate rules in advance. Going to the store, calmly repeat the rules of conduct in the store. Play the game: "We are in the store", playing with the doll positive and negative points. Here the doll wants a new toy, fell to the floor and threw a tantrum. Ask the child: is the doll behaving correctly? Consult with your child as if you were an adult. The rules of conduct at home must be printed in large letters and hung in a conspicuous place in the house.
2. Method "Swap places". If a child has a habit of fighting, throwing objects at a person, etc., it is necessary to put the child in that person's place. Again, playfully. Ask: "When it hurts, do you cry?" Explain that adults can control their tears, but that doesn’t mean that a cube that lands on your face or shoulder will not hurt. Draw cards (or find suitable pictures) for when to fight and when not. For example, you can get into a fight defensively. But you can't just fight.
3. Fairytale therapy. Come up with fairy tales where the main character is named the same as your child, and he does the same bad deeds. Emphasize what is good and what is bad. You can rephrase existing tales by inserting suitable situations there.
4. Have a fun day once a week. Children's energy requires an outlet, allow the child to throw out the accumulated aggression - beat the stuffed animal out of the pillows, tear the paper, shout loudly together somewhere in nature, etc.
5. Method "Magic hours". Take any clock with hands. When a child has done a bad deed, explain why it is bad and offer to play "Time Machine" to correct the situation on his own: turn the arrows back a few hours and let the child find the right behavior in a similar situation. There may be several options, do not forget to set the clock back every time. You can add a musical element as a sign of temporary movement.
