Here are some basic suggestions for guiding your child's behaviour:
Express your love and respect for your child each day.
Notice your child's good behaviour and her efforts to make things work.
Plan ahead to provide a safe play space with interesting and age-appropriate activities.
Be predictable by providing a routine, being consistent and following through on consequences.
Set up reasonable limits, expectations, and consequences that relate to each of your children's ages and temperaments.
Communicate rules, limits and consequences clearly.
Gradually teach your child to handle a range of emotions.
Redirect, distract or use humour to help your child to calm down.
Offer choices and let her learn from consequences.
Be a model for good problem-solving, negotiating and understanding of others, as well as the behaviours you want your child to have - teach and lead instead of using force.
Be firm but have realistic expectations.
Remember, it takes time for children to learn acceptable behaviours.
Adapted from: Landy, Sarah. (2002). Pathways to Competence: A Program to Encourage Healthy Social and Emotional Development in Young Children.
