A proper big kid discipline is something that requires quite a lot of effort, not only from the point of view of the kid but the parents as well. In fact, some parents find it extremely difficult! The real reason why that is the case may surprise you!  In most cases, the kid is not to be blamed, but the discipline strategy used by the parents. Only a proper approach can ensure good discipline of your kid, which is essential for their mental, emotional, and social development.

The experience has shown that those who had poor discipline in their youth usually achieved significantly less success later in life than those who behaved well as kids. All of this reasons show that big kid discipline is should be of your utmost importance. With that in mind, here are some rules you must adhere to in order to achieve a proper discipline of your child!

1. Discipline Does Not Equal Punishment

Do you believe that the main principle of child’s discipline is that bad behavior is followed by a punishment? Well, experts do not agree with you! According to world’s leading pediatricians and children psychologists, discipline is not synonymous with punishment!

You might think that a proper way of disciplining your child is to take away their toys when they do something bad, but that simply won’t work! This approach will lead nowhere. In fact, it can only make the things worse. The kid may become rebellious and continue with bad behavior only to spite you.

In fact, the root of this word comes from Latin disciplinare, which means ‘to teach’. So, basically, your role as the parent is to teach your child to stay away from bad behavior. This is something that can be achieved by setting up clear rules of behavior.

2. Think Ahead

Rather than dealing with the consequences of your kid’s bad behavior, you need to do your best to prevent it from happening. This can be achieved by setting up straight rules, which can’t be misinterpreted.

Furthermore, in order to ensure proper discipline of your kid, you need to do hands-on parenting. Rather than letting them doing a bad thing and facing the consequences, your job is to prevent the bad behavior before it even happens. This is especially important in cases when the kid is getting ready to do something that can endanger their or someone else’s health and wellbeing.

A way of preventing bad behavior is distracting your kid’s attention. This is a smart thing to do as some kids simply react poorly to constant warnings. Instead, when you spot that they’re about to do something bad, you need to present them with an alternative. For instance, if you think that they have no intention of cleaning up scattered toys, you can try to suggest to organize them in a fun way.

3. Explain Your Rules Properly

Unless you explain the rules of behavior to your kid properly, they might not be able to interpret it the right way. What this means is that if you keep on wrapping it up, your child might not understand what you’re telling them.

Another reason why it’s important to use the right words is to make the kid understand that the rules are there to benefit them. Otherwise, they might assume that you’ve set up the rules just because you can.

4. Reward Good Behavior

As you’ve probably realized, we are very much against giving punishments. Rather than trying to motivate your kid to behave well by threatening them with consequences, it’s much better to encourage them to behave nicely by promising rewards!

Basically, if your kid is behaving well, give them a reward. And when they behave badly, don’t give them anything. The reward doesn’t have to be anything big or expensive. In fact, it doesn’t even have to be a material thing. You can award the good behavior with praise, making them their favorite meal, or letting them play their favorite video game, for instance.

5. Enroll Your Kid in a Team Sport

Spots teach discipline through play and are a great way of channeling bad behavior into something good. The best thing about it is that physical activity makes them feel joyful, so adhering to strict rules of the game will not come difficult to them.

Another reason why getting your child interested in a team sport is that it will boost their social skills. They will learn how to be a valuable member of a team, who cares about the wishes and needs of fellow teammates.

The good things about team sports don’t end there. They’re also great for the physical development of your child. In fact, any kind of physical activity is guaranteed to reduce the risk of obesity and various diseases that come as a resolute of it.

6. Ask Your Pediatrician for Help

Although general rules about children discipline apply to everyone, sometimes they might not be enough. Each child is unique, which is why you need to tailor the rules according to the emotional, mental, and physical needs of your kid.

Unfortunately, not every parent is capable of doing it. Actually, most people have problems coming up with the best strategy for their children’s discipline. That’s where professionals step in! Rather than trying to figure out everything on your own, it’s a much better solution to ask experts for help.

You can ask a pediatrician to help you out with an advice. However, if you feel like the issue is getting out of control, it’s best to get in touch with a children psychologist. After all, it’s their job to deal with these kinds of things.

Final Word of Advice

Misbehaving is something that comes with being a child, so perhaps you shouldn’t take it too seriously. Being naughty in childhood is not a sign that the child will grow to become a bad person. So, arm yourself with patience and let your kid have a bit of fun by bending the rules. Of course, this is only true if their bad behavior isn’t causing anyone harm.