As your toddler turns one, he/she starts to perform some behaviors that might be considered “inappropriate” or “wrong”. These behaviors go hand in hand with the child’s increasing desire to show signs of independence or to seek attention. More often than not, these behavioral deviations are closely related to the child’s lack of awareness of the consequences. Wisely, this requires an interference from the parents or the nursery classroom teacher to re-direct these misbehaviors carefully without causing frustration to the child.
Re-directing children’s behaviors is all about helping the child grow an ability to judge the appropriateness of their own behaviors independently and switch over to positive ones that would be later translated into essential habits. This can be achieved by following several methods and techniques.
Praising a child’s good behavior has to be one of the most impactful methods to help parents indirectly control their child’s behavior. Acknowledging a desirable behavior can motivate the child to do it more often for the sole sake of pleasing others.
If your child is younger than 18 months, ignoring some misbehaviors can prove to be rewarding especially if the child is merely trying to seek attention or their misbehavior is unintentional. However, if your child is 18 months or older, allow an opportunity for him/her to take responsibilities for their actions in order to develop a sense of self-discipline.
It’s also helpful for parents to stay composed and collected. Losing self-control can only lead to yet more bad behaviors out of stubbornness. They are advised to stay calm and avoid making negative comments or giving the child direct criticism. Parents are also advised to negotiate privileges with their kids. For example, they can allow them to watch TV after they tidy up their room, or they can promise to take them on a picnic if they stop crying and screaming.
Telling a short story about a desirable behavior using the child’s favorite characters can help both for short and long terms goals. In this case, parents can seek help from the teacher at the nursery to play this role as they have a great deal of influence on the child’s behavior. This is something we care about at “Little Academy Nursery” after considering the parents’ remarks during our regular monthly parent-teacher meetings.
Moreover, taking away some privileges is another good method used with children who are older than two years and a half. It does miracles to control undisciplined children as they will know that every time they misbehave, something precious to them will be taken away.
Also, parents can hang a board in their child’s room to stick stars for every good deed s/he commits to. It’s worth noting that limiting rewards to only materialistic ones can be dangerous. Small rewards should be worked out. Rewards can range from a picnic, a sticker, to even just a kiss or a high five.
No matter what method works best with your child, for it to yield desired results, it is essential that both parents and the nursery teacher are on the same page. With this consistency, the child will not be confused, and as they don’t sense a major difference between the two environments, it will be easier for them to follow directions.