5 things to do instead of spanking
- Choose your battles.
Be calm, but firm. Figure out which issues are most important to address
with your child. Try not to pay attention to small behaviors that will
not harm them: whining, nail biting, tantrums.
-
Time Out.
Use time out in response to misbehavior in children over the age of two.
Follow these guidelines:
- Use time out in response to one
problem behavior. Overuse of time out is ineffective.
- Tell your child what he or she
did wrong and what you would like to see the child do instead.
- Seat your child in a quiet place.
Time out should last one minute for each year of age.
- Time out is a chance for children
to calm down, collect themselves, and be ready to behave appropriately when
they rejoin you.
- When...then. When
you pick up the toys, then you can watch TV. When you clean your room,
then you can go outside.
-
Take away
privileges. Make the punishment fit the crime whenever possible.
Take away TV privileges when children fight over the TV. Make their
curfew earlier when they come in late. Try to take away privileges
for only a short time. Kids easily forget whey they are being punished
and build up resentment over long periods of time.
-
Work detail.
Re-direct energy that is being used to make trouble. Have kids work
off rules violations. Post a list of additional chores that need to
be done around the house and let children chose which jobs they would like
to do to make up for poor behavior.
(Return to Family Resources -- Resource Page)
The mission of Family Resources is to prevent and treat
child abuse by strengthening families and neighborhoods.
141 S. Highland Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
www.familyresourcesofpa.org
info@familyresourcesofpa.org