The word 'Behaviour' written in red pen

If only life ran smoothly and our children were well behaved every day, listened to everything we said and just did what we asked. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if they were polite to us always and co-operated with us all the time? Can you imagine that? I can’t. Children, I believe, were put on this earth to teach us who we really are by testing us and pushing boundaries and helping us to be better human beings. Who they are and who they become is mainly down to what we teach and instill in them but children will misbehave. They will be defiant. They will get frustrated. And this is because what they have been asked to do does not fit in with their plans. If the defiance happens frequently it can be destructive not just for the parent/child relationship but also for the whole family. So, how can we try and change the adverse behaviour of children? Here are seven strategies to encourage children to be well behaved.

7 Ways To Have Well Behaved Children

  1. Parents can reward good behaviour by giving their children time with them. Knowing that they can have some special one-to-one time with mum and dad may be a good incentive for children to behave.
  2. Parents can give them more affection and descriptive praise when children behave well.
  3. Parents can acknowledge the changes their children are making towards better behaviour.
  4. Parents can teach children to own and be responsible for their own frustrations and not take them out on others.
  5. Parents can suggest better ways for how children can respond to their instructions in a calm voice so that they will be calm too.
  6. Parents need to make sure their children understand why they are requesting something of them and the impact it will have on everyone.
  7. Parents can make children aware of the consequences when they don’t behave in the way they agreed to.

Some bad behaviour can be a bid for attention or be a result of frustration about something else so they then act out at home. No matter what the reason is, setting clear boundaries and expectations (along with being patient) can go a long way to encouraging better behaved children.

These are just seven ways to help your child to be better behaved. There are lots more. What do you use? I’d love to hear via my social media channels or leave a comment under this blog.

If you have a child who you want to behave better and feel they could do with some coaching please do get in touch with me.