Parents when your children misbehave or get out of control, how do you communicate to them that they have misbehaved?
I have heard parents and guardians react to their children in ways that make my skin crawl. The worst one in my opinion is when parents tell their children that they are “A BAD BOY/GIRL.”
When a parent says something like that to their children they instill in the child a sense that they are bad children, and these words and phrases kill the child’s self-esteem. All kids act up and get out of control, mine does too, but when they act up next time ask yourself one question:
“Do I want to take this opportunity to teach them good behavior or do I just want to unload my anger and damage their self-esteem for life?”
Tell your children that their behavior specifically was bad, not that they are bad themselves and that you would like to help them make good choices. When they do make good choices PRAISE THEM A TON!!!
Do not call them a brat. Do not call them a devil child. Do not say they are ruining your day/life. In general, don’t express the negative, momentary feelings that you are feeling when you are frustrated with them. Many times this frustration is due to other factors or circumstances and has nothing to do with the fact that your kids are acting, like kids.
Try not to be mean to your children, because kids remember all that you say and they believe you. Remember, discipline is meant to teach, not to hurt.
