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 That WORKS: Top 5 Things to do First Author: Kristina Miller Category: Parenting, Family Word Count: 823 Keywords: teach your children discipline, how to teach your children discipline, parenting, childrens behavior Author's Email Address: [email protected] Article Source: http://www.articlemarketer.com ------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
You're tired of your child walking all over you, acting up in public, or disrupting the family. You know it's time to make a big change, buckle down, and teach your children discipline. But where on earth do you start? Remember, the one and only thing you can control right off the bat is your own behavior. So control it! As you set about to teach your children discipline, you also need to be disciplined yourself. In everything you do from this point forward, you must be ruthlessly consistent, reliable, and predictable. Whether it is convenient or not, embarrassing or not, costly or not, you must follow that one unbreakable rule of solid parenting: Be consistent. Apply the rule to everything you do, and you'll have taken the first most important step. Here are the top five techniques to begin immediately to teach your children discipline that works: Teach Your Children Discipline RESPECTFULLY You cannot teach your children discipline without respect. Perhaps you cannot make them respect YOU immediately, but you CAN respect them. Respect them by acting like you expect them to behave, because they are good kids and you believe in them. You must expect the behavior you want. Do not label or criticize your child (or talk about his "disabilities" or "issues") in front of anyone else. Never say hurtful things like, "Well, what else would I expect from an ADD kid?" or "Oh no, he can't do that," before he has had a chance to try. Give your child a chance to make the right choice. Do not yell, scream or hit them, at the same time you expect them to speak respectfully and be non-violent. Teach Your Children Discipline WITH LOVE Let's not fool ourselves - you want to teach your children discipline BECAUSE you love them, not in spite of it. Even during the tough times, remember why you want to teach your children discipline: So they will be happy, successful, loving, and respected. Teaching your children discipline is the most important, long-lasting gift you can ever give them as a parent. Teach Your Children Discipline - BECAUSE YOU'RE THE PARENT Teach your children discipline with love and respect - but do not make the mistake of trying to be friends with your kids rather than the parent. Trying to be friends instead of parenting a child will confuse him and leave him searching for someone else to fill the role of parent - perhaps even trying to fill it himself. Is your child defiant, aggressive, disobedient? He may be scared because he does not have a strong parental figure to protect him and give him the clear boundaries he craves. Is he indecisive, nervous, insecure? All of this could result from a parent who tries to be friends with their child, and fails to be a parent setting clear boundaries. Remember your role, and don't be afraid to be the parent! Teach Your Children Discipline COURAGEOUSLY Encourage your kids to be brave and strong. Having the strength to not be offended by the slightest insult, and the bravery to be independent, try new things, and fail without crumbling emotionally, is the foundation for building confident and resilient children. Teach your children discipline of their emotions and reactions. Remember, we are not passive bystanders to our emotions. There is an element of choice involved. Talk to your children and give them the "tools" they need to react to situations in a productive and appropriate way. Teach Your Children Discipline BY EXAMPLE You teach your children discipline every day, whether you intend to or not - and whether it's good discipline or bad. So set a GOOD example! Tell your kids you love them. When they choose to do the right thing, tell them you're proud of them. When you make a mistake, admit it and ask forgiveness. Care for others. Be calm and firm. Be respectful. Be consistent, not unpredictable. Don't play favorites. Set aside quality time with each child to show that you LIKE being with them, perhaps even making a tradition of mommy-and-me classes or Friday morning father-son breakfasts. Give up the adversarial parenting approach. Displaying your commitment to each of your kids allows you to teach your children discipline that works, because it comes from within a solid, peaceful parent-child relationship. As you teach your children discipline, remember this relationship is the most important factor in creating disciplined, happy kids. Children need to feel secure, to feel taken care of, to be taught how to act, to have boundaries, to have a PARENT in charge. They need to be able to trust their parent, and have good role models for their own behavior. They need to understand empathy and care about the feelings of others. These things happen naturally when a parent forms a healthy relationship with their child. When children feel this way, many behavior problems correct themselves. So, teach your children discipline starting today, and do it with confidence and love. You are making a difference! 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]
