HOW TO EFFECTIVELY DISCIPLINE
AND GUIDE YOUR CHILD
Adapted from One Tough Job
www.onetoughjob.org
How you say it is key
Be calm — your calmness is contagious.
Focus on your child — say your child’s name and look directly at your child.
Praise good behavior — use phrases that repeat the good thing your child did.
Remind gently — timed when you want your child to do a specific task.
Don’t ask, tell — asking your child “Are you ready for bed?” is asking for trouble. “Time for bed” is a better choice.
Count to 10 — tell your child you will count to 10 and explain what needs to happen during the countdown. Kids like the beat the clock game and you cool down counting to 10!
Invite input — work out a situation together by asking your child how he or she would solve the problem.
Present choices — give your child choices that you will feel comfortable with like “Do you want to put your shirt on first or your socks?”
Brief is best — one or two sentences is better than a long lecture.
Say please and thank you — this both shows and teaches your child kindness and politeness.
Don’t give too many orders at once — try not to overwhelm your child. Let them accomplish one task at a time.
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