New-age moms would relate to this better; with the holidays just round the corner and the kids being at home, moms have to be on double duty- managing household chores to constantly keeping an eye on the little one’s whereabouts. One moment they are there in front of your eyes, and the next moment, there’s no sign of them. If there’s utmost silence around, it could mean two things- either the little one is snoozing away, which is good, or they are busy up to something ungodly that would shake you off the floor. To deal with such kids’ tempers, tantrums and their snaky ways, you would need a miracle- wrong! Corporal punishment isn’t always right, you see!
Stop the spanking and yelling – Our parents may have done that, not knowing how badly it affected us as kids when we were screamed and yelled at- ask yourself, did it help? We very well know what the answer is- we repeated the same sneaky actions and drama once the punishment was lifted from us, and kids these days would do the same. Yelling and spanking doesn’t help. In fact, did you know that as a parent you even have just a limited right to spank your children as there can be a possible criminal punishment linked with it? Reinforcing the rules the regulations through words and subtle actions is the right way to go. The reinforcement of rules should be for all- moms to kids, dads too and everyone in the family.
Practice what you preach – Kids learn from their parents. If they see you and observe you breaking the rules now and then; they think of the same as cool and okay to do. For example, if you as a mom has set the rule of no cursing and hitting, shouting or name calling, ridiculing or being ill-mannered around; practice the same for the kids to follow. You have to be firm about such boundaries with yourself first, before expecting the little one to follow suit.
Good behaviour should always be rewarded – As kids, we looked forward to Sundays to watch an extra hour of television; was luxury back then. These days and with all forms of technological concepts and instruments for kids at home and around; they are a pampered bunch of humans that have it all. However, you can use this to your advantage. For every good task or deed done- if they’ve been obedient, done their homework on time, have followed the rules, stuck to their duties- a reward is what they get. Keep a reward chart pinned on their study table; it works!
Here are some fun yet meaningful rewards ideas for your kids:
- Disposable cameras from CustomCameraCollection.
- Cute clothes such as graphic tees and adorable PJs at ChildrensPlace.
- Adorable stuffed animals at discounted deals from Kohls.com.
- Get your hands on some innovative toys and stylish pool games fun at Mobstub.
Calm down and walk away quietly! We often lose our cool when our kids behavioural patterns hit the roof. This is quite understandable and we empathise with you on the same, should you have to go through this always. But remember, when the child gets all unruly and sneaky; screaming, cussing, yelling or spanking them wouldn’t be the solution to deal with it all. Stop, stare, take a step back and cool down, leaving the room for ten minutes maybe; deep breath and let the child be for some time. Come back when you are cooled down and ready to speak with him. Calmer minds can find better solutions, which angry heated up souls wouldn’t. There are even many popular courses for parents of younger children available that help to build strong relationships using good parenting principles to nurture children from an early age.
Spend more time with your kids – Kids need our attention, and not negative attention. Don’t let negative attention make you feel you are parenting the right way, which only sends out a wrong message to the little one- it’s okay to pretend to be in communication with the next, when it is not. When you watch your little one do something good, a reward is a must- we have mentioned that- praise him and acknowledge him before handing out the reward though. More than that, spending quality time with the little one is a must. By nature, kids want their parents around always; that’s not possible round the clock and not conducive as well. However, whatever little time you may get to be with them, get involved in their creative activities, their life and their thoughts too- helps calm situations down and the snarky behaviour wouldn’t surface at all. A fun way to indulge in creative activities with your children would be to indulge in subscription boxes for children. Subscribe for Flintobox, which is an award-winning and age-appropriate way to get play-based activities for kids delivered to your doorstep every month! Each box is loaded with fun that promotes early child development in a fun and explorative way.
Do write in and let us know how you deal with unruly and sneaky kid behavioural ways!
