What Do You Think about Positive Consequences for Children?
“What do you think about positive consequences for children as a tactic? I know discipline is important, but I’m also praising my daughter (she’s two) when she does something good unprompted. Is that okay? I kind of feel like I’m using my experience in dog training on my kid and I don’t want to mess up lol”
Praise is an excellent way to teach our children what is right and what is wrong. Very often, as parents, we focus on the things they do wrong (e.g., “Don’t touch that!”; “Stop doing that!”) but we ignore them when they behave well. Praising them is a great method to teach them right and wrong. It is better to use praise in a very specific way, so they know what behaviours they should repeat. So, instead of saying “You are a such a good girl”, tell her “Well done for tidying up so nicely”.
When we praise our children, we are disciplining them. Very often, we think that discipline is about punishment, but it is much more than that. The aim of discipline is to teach our children what is wrong and what is right. So, praise is an element of discipline.
So, keep praising your daughter when she behaves well. It is definitely a good idea!
You can also find these articles useful:
How to Discipline Your Child: An Age-By-Age Guide
How to Discipline a 3 Year-Old?
Is Smacking Your Child Ever OK?
Let’s Be Honest: Who Doesn’t Ever Yell at Their Kids?
I wish you both all the very best.
Love,
Ana
