Parents may become frustrated by their children’s misbehavior that they resort to physical punishment, such as using the cane. Physical punishment is not the most effective technique to respond to your child’s misbehavior. When parents use the cane (either to hit or threaten), they risk injuring our children physically or emotionally, sending the message that aggressiveness is the solution to issues, or teaching them to attack or threaten their friends, siblings, or us in response to arguments. Furthermore, physical punishment only briefly prevents some children’s misbehavior.

When your child misbehaves, you can tell him “STOP/ NO/ DON’T (description of what he is doing)” and “DO (description of what he should do)” instead of “STOP/ NO/ DON’T (description of what he is doing).

If your child is in danger, do not wait for him to obey your “STOP” command. Get to him right away and get him to safety. When giving your youngster instructions, do the following:

  • Attract your child’s attention by approaching him at arm’s length and saying his name.
  • Tell your youngster what to do using firm but gentle eye contact and a firm but gentle voice.
  • Wait five seconds for a response. Repeat the instruction if your youngster does not reply (only once more).

When your youngster follows your instructions, respond favorably with a designated compliment (described below). If your child does not obey your instructions, give him a logical punishment and/or wait for him to calm down.

How preschools manage misbehavior positively

  • Labeled Praise

Preschool teachers observe your children’s good behavior and give them labelled praise to boost the possibility that they will continue to do so in the future.

Labeled praise tells the child that (1) they performed well (e.g., good, well done, good work, I like it) and (2) it gives a specific description of what they did well in (e.g., sitting in a chair, cleaning your hands before eating, playing on your own).

  • Consequences of Logical Reasoning

A teacher-administered punishment that is relevant to the behavior is a logical consequence of misbehavior. If a child does not follow an instruction, for example, the child’s present activity may be halted and the child may not progress to the next activity until the child does so. Here are some more examples:

Misbehavior: Work is not completed by the child.

Logical consequence: Does not have the opportunity to go on to the next activity.

Misbehavior: A child makes a mess in the room

Logical consequence: The child is expected to tidy up after himself.

Misbehavior: When watching TV, the child ignores the injunction to sit on the sofa.

Logical consequence: Turn off the television until the child is ready to follow the directions.

Misbehavior: When a child’s toy was snatched by a sibling, the child became enraged and smacked the sibling.

Logical consequence: The child is not allowed to play with the toy for an extended amount of time. It is the responsibility of the child to apologize to his or her sibling.

Ascertain that the logical result is reasonable and age-appropriate. If a three-year-old did not stop playing with his cup of milk and then spilled it, you can get him to clean it up with your assistance. You can physically encourage him to pick up the cup and place it in the sink, as well as mop up the spill with a cloth. After that, you can wash and wring the fabric.

  • Managing Tantrums

Tantrums are strong emotional outbursts. When the child is having a tantrum, teachers in preschool know how to handle the tantrum logically without resorting to physical punishments. Sometimes trying to reason with a child during a tantrum can be troublesome. It’s best to wait out the emotions for the child and the teacher,  they should ensure that the child is safe.

South Launceston Early Learning and Preschool can help manage your child’s tantrums, but as parents, you must reinforce the teachings at home to ensure success.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *