Let’s talk about behavior!
It’s often the case that we recognize our children when they’re at their worst. The public meltdowns, non-compliance and tantrums often cue our well-timed reprimand to stop their behavior. The problem with this kind reactive strategy is that we often inadvertently recognize, or reward our children for doing the very thing that got them in trouble. From a behavioral standpoint, attention is attention, meaning praise and reprimands are sometimes the same thing. So, instead of just catching our children in the act of pushing their sibling, let’s catch them playing and sharing with them instead. These teachable moments allow parents to cultivate those behaviors they want and contribute to positive parent-child interactions. Below are three simple tips to help “catch them doing good” at home.
Praise:
Ensure that we use a good amount of both vocal and physical praise. This can be in the form of hugs, high fives or even twirls!
See the small things:
Don’t just praise them for the big things; recognize the little victories, too.
Make it a game:
When returning home from work, or driving the kids to school, make it a game to catch your child in the day to day positive moments.
You can download a free “Certificate of Excellence” award here, to print and give your child to celebrate them today!
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