Kristina Miller offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print. Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum. ----------- PUBLICATION GUIDELINES - You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety. - Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity. - Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only. - If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links. - Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to [email protected] - Article Marketer (www.ArticleMarketer.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Article Marketer does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article. ----------- Article Title: Teach Your Children Discipline: Raising COURAGEOUS Kids Author: Kristina Miller Category: Word Count: 991 Keywords: teach your children discipline, how to teach your children discipline, courage, parenting Author's Email Address: [email protected] Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com ------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
As you strive to teach your children discipline, you are likely focusing on correcting problem behaviors or teaching respect, courtesy and selflessness. "Courage," however, may not be a parenting goal at the top of your priority list. But if you want to teach your children discipline that will benefit them for LIFE, it should be! Why is courage so important as you teach your children discipline? In today's world it's not always easy to choose to do the right thing, to be kind to the class bully - or the class nerd. It's not always easy to admit when we err, or to step up and help someone in need. All of these kindnesses take a healthy dose of courage. Courageous kids are not afraid of failure, so they are not afraid to try hard at something that is not guaranteed to result in success. And, they are emotionally strong and resilient - not offended by every insult, or thrown into tantrums by the slightest inconvenience. They are brave, and thus more independent, creative, and faster learners, because they are not terrified of making a mistake. As you set out to teach your children discipline that will last their whole lives, can you imagine how these courageous characteristics might be incredibly valuable? Teach Your Children Discipline STARTING WITH YOU So how do you raise such a self-disciplined, "courageous" child? It's not easy to teach your children discipline today. As a parent, you're well aware that try as you might, you cannot control all your child's behaviors. But have no fear: You CAN control your own! Start by making sure you provide your child with a secure, predictable home. Learn calm (but firm) ways to teach your children discipline that don't involve yelling. Take the first step towards building up strong relationships with your kids, and between all the members of your family. And remember to stay positive! Teach your children discipline, but have fun doing it. Kids' confidence is rooted in a stable home life. Teach Your Children Discipline CONSISTENTLY The most important change to make right off the bat as you begin to teach your children discipline, is to BE CONSISTENT. In order for your children to feel secure, not only do they have to feel loved, but they need to know their boundaries. Children CRAVE clear boundaries. Each good, simple rule that you give to your child and never waver on, is like a rung on a ladder. The stronger the rungs, the higher they climb. Without them, they're stuck on the bottom. Consistency is the key to teach your children discipline that actually works. Teach Your Children Discipline SOCIALLY Kids that have been taught courage are more polite and respectful of others, because they have more respect for themselves. They are more friendly, because they do not worry excessively what others may think of them. And, they are better able to self-soothe and feel secure whether alone or in a group, because they do not live their life governed by fear. Use all those "teachable moments" in life to talk to your child about the feelings of others, and lead by example. Children can learn empathy from a remarkably young age in this way. This will teach them to have social courage. Teach Your Children Discipline of Their EMOTIONS Give your kids chances to fail. Allow them to take chances and make mistakes; then show them how to learn from it. This is part of how you can teach your children discipline of the mind and of the emotions. Their reaction to failure is even more important than whether or not they succeeded in the first place, so teach them to have a healthy attitude. Failure is real, it is a part of life, and it teaches us important things so we can move on and succeed next time. Telling kids that, "Everyone's a winner!" or "No one loses!" is a transparent lie that even a small child naturally knows is false. Teaching kids how to deal with loss or failure is so much more valuable than making sure they never fail in the first place. Teach Your Children Discipline with POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS Parental expectations must be reasonable, but do not mistake "reasonable" for"low." Low expectations are just as damaging to children as unreachable expectations. Low expectations may feel more loving to YOU, but really they are degrading, letting your child know in clear terms that you don't respect or believe in them. Do not push your children to the breaking point, but definitely do not insult them with a patronizing, insincere, "Whatever you do is GREAT! No failure here!" attitude. Teach Your Children Discipline RESPECTFULLY All of these things will flow naturally as you teach your children discipline from the foundation of a mutually respectful parent-child relationship. If you do not feel like you have such a relationship, take the first step by showing respect to your child. You may not be able to force him to respect YOU immediately, but you CAN (and must) respect him. This teaches your child that he is secure in the care of his loving parent, no matter what, because love comes from the parent, regardless of what the child does or doesn't do. He'll know you EXPECT things of him, not because you want to control him or be mean, but because you respect and BELIEVE in him. This is so simple, but so profoundly powerful to a child. Your children might not understand the word "respect" but she can easily perceive it, and will respond to it almost instantly. You CAN teach your children discipline in this way, that will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Teach Your Children Discipline FOR LIFE Courage is a gift that every parent can give to their children, which will serve them well for the rest of their lives. As you begin to teach your children discipline, do so with respect, clear boundaries, and consistency, and you will lay the foundation for a disciplined, courageous child. The author K.J. Miller is passionate about teaching discipline to children in an effective and loving way. She maintains a website (http://www.TeachYourChildrenSelfDiscipline.net) on how to teach your children discipline that works. ------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
