Discipline is important in understanding consequences from actions by choosing a behavior that leads to positive traits. Self-Discipline is a key to success by individuals being aware and controlling their emotional responses to different situations, environments, and challenges
So how do parents help children practice discipline at home to establish good behaviors, positive emotional control, and complete goals for a successful future?
1) Set the Game.
Yes I said game. Why are games thoughtof as sports, electronics, crafts and boards? Why can’t clean up your room, brush your teeth, complete your homework, and put your shoes on be Discipline games? Turns out they can. It’s all in the way it’s presented which leads to #2
2) Communicate your expectations
All games have rules. Be clear to what you want your end result to be.
One example of a common rule at home and a continuous trigger point of frustration for parents and children is Clean Up Your Room.
When a parent says to his/her child, I want you to clean up your room, your younger child stuffs the toys under the bed and in the closet while your older child throws their clothes in the closet and piles up belongings on a table. Based off the communication of the expectation, the chore was completed not to the expectation of the parent and the consequence of the action brings out frustration and a negative emotional response from the child including laziness, not listening, back talk, eye rolling, and the I can’t attitude.
3) So now it’s time to Change
Behaviors can be redirected, and positive emotions chosen. First SHOW your child what you want the end result to be and take a photo. Understand that your child needs to explore their own Way to complete the task. Praise him/her for the improved success. Look for that 1% change and acknowledge the effort. Then raise the bar and have your child repeat the process in a different way the next day. With each micro step in the right direction comment on the positive emotion from your child even if it’s only a slight improvement. Remember you are re-engineering the mind and body to become an improved self.
4) Consistency
Practice Everyday! Developing self-discipline requires consistent repetition and repetition is best disguised through doing the same thing different each time. Smile to the fact you have chosen to learn, grow, and get better. Micro goals turn into micro achievements of self-improvement and it builds self-esteem. It sparks the internal motivation to continue choosing actions that result in positive emotions moving in a Yes I Can success driven direction.
Let’s keep building children towards a positive future one change at a time.