Positive Parenting TipsPositive parenting tips for building up and loving the best out of your children. This takes patience. I want to encourage you not to let busyness and stress keep you from generously offering your child encouragement and soft interaction. You know what they say, "Don't just correct or punish wrong behavior. Reinforce right behavior." Positive Parenting Tips: Refrain from mocking or belittling your child. If they are sensitive, be gentle. I don't suggest that you "baby" a child who just wants to be lazy or pitied. Respecting your child's true sensitivities will not make them weak. It will make them strong because they will know that they are accepted for who they are. Try to be more aware of your attitude and how your responses to your child may make them feel. Be less harsh and sarcastic and more warm and serious. Instead of making fun of your child for acting strangely or whining, instruct and impart to them attributes that will build character and selflessness. Take the child more seriously and know that your words are either going to build them up or tear them down. Along the same lines as teasing and mocking, is playing pranks and forceful play. I've always said that jokes are only fun when everyone involved genuinely has fun. It's not acceptable for one person to force his or herself on another by playing roughly or overpowering someone to make them do something they think is funny. Be gentle with and sensitive to your children. When your child says, "Stop" or "No", listen. It's time to stop. If you overdo it, apologize. Positive Parenting Tips: When my daughter is tired, sometimes she begins to act out by yelling at her play mates or crying from frustration. At that moment I take her aside and hold her close. I help her to recognize that she's tired and to please calm down and not yell at her friends. I ask her if she would like to go lay down or be by herself for a while or continue playing quietly and nicely. She usually goes back to playing and does fine. She just needed a little "break away" from her mode of irritability to re-focus. When she does choose to lay down for a while, she usually doesn't fall asleep. She just rests in her bed for a short while and then gets up. I took time to understand and correct her. She was able to recognize her feelings and manage them. It wouldn't have done any good to get angry with her. It's times like these when children are trying to be good, but they are having trouble reining in there emotions. This is the time, I believe, to give your child encouragement and guidance. Positive Parenting Tips: All attitudes and actions from your child (and yourself) are there for a reason. Don't put too much emphasis on WHAT the child said as much as what needs to be done about it. Giving your child encouragement can be in the form of showing compassion and understanding. Help them work through their weakness, whether it's something they really have a hard time handling or they just tend to want you to "baby" them. There are times when your child just needs you to help them instead of punishing them and not showing that you care enough to deal with the real problem. Sometimes a brief and centered correction is enough to bring about remorse in the child. Follow that with hugs and kisses. What I mean is this. If your toddler tells you that she hates you, don't fall back into a chair in shock. Hold your child, look her in the eyes, talk to her about it. Learn what is angering her, let her know that you understand that she's angry, but not to tell someone that you hate them. It's not kind and we shouldn't say such things to hurt other people, etc. Once my toddler got so angry and upset that she said, "I want to cut you with these scissors!" That's sounds terrible, doesn't it? I guarantee you I never made such a threat to her. But, children don't necessarily need an example of bad things to say, their own human nature does a fine job of that on its own (much like ours!). I didn't get angry and yell, send her to her room, or punish her. I stayed calm, took the scissors from her hand (gently, but in a controlled and authoritative way), and corrected her behavior. That was the end of that. I needed to give my child encouragement, in a way, at that moment by helping her to manage her emotions. Positive Parenting Tips: Give your child encouragement by giving them a voice. Encourage your child to verbalize his or her thoughts. Let them know that they can say what's on their mind, as long as they do so calmly and with respect. Treat your children, in some ways, like they are a fellow adult. Speak to them maturely, respectfully, and as though their opinions are valuable. The more I interact with my daughter like I would an adult, the more responsible and mature she seems to be. In their minds, what they think and have to say is just as important as anyone else. And, it is! Appreciate them and what they have to contribute. If your child has an idea or makes a suggestion to solve a problem or create a project, try to use it! Don't forget to have plain ol' fun with your child. If you ask your child a serious question about which ingredient goes into the recipe next and they giggle and say, "What about dog food!" Proclaim, "Dog food? Yes! The secret ingredient to my special pancakes. I almost forgot!" Then ask your child if he or she thinks you should share some of these special pancakes with Buddy (the dog). Positive Parenting Tips: I decided at that moment that that was the type of attitude and interaction I wanted to keep with my child. Sharing positive parenting tips, wittingly or unwittingly, is a great way to improve the world, don't you think? :) I often rejoice in my daughter. She gives me praise and encouraging words. When you frequently give your child encouragement, they give it back! When my daughter was three, we had some friends over for dinner. My daughter politely asked for a piece of dessert and sat down with us at the "big" table. After a moment, she looked up to me and said in her darling, little voice, "You did a good job, Mommy." Oh! How precious it was to hear that! It's also wonderful to see or hear your child giving another child
encouraging words! Return to Good Parenting Skills from Positive Parenting Tips
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