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You are your child's first teacher. Just as parents/guardians help children learn to say their first words, take their first steps, etc. social, emotional, and behavioral learning also begin at home, long before a child ever comes to school. Children are learning social behaviors all the time and families play the greatest role in determining those behaviors. Families influence social behavior by what they teach, directly and indirectly, consciously and unconsciously. Children learn to express feelings, such as anger, friendliness, or sadness, by watching and imitating those around them. This learning is magnified by by the punishment or approval they receive for their behavior.
Your child is always watching you and will take his/her cues on how to interact with the world from you. Therefore, parents/guardians have a huge responsibility to be good role models of these interactions. If you or other family members express your anger calmly and demonstrate the use of good coping skills, then your child will do the same. Conversely, if you or other family members yell, hit, throw things, etc. to express your anger, then you can expect to see these behaviors in your child. In every action you take, you must decide if the same behavior would be appropriate coming from your child. The most effective way to change a child's behavior is to change the behavior of the adults around them.
Easy Ways to Improve Your Child's Behavior at School:
Easy Ways to Improve Your Child's Behavior at School:
- Set a bed time and stick to it. It is recommended that school age children get 9 to 11 hours of sleep each night. As we all know, tired children are cranky children.
- Feed you child nutritious meals. Children need a variety of vitamins and minerals to help their brains grow and develop. Also, it is hard to learn with a hungry stomach.
- Limit sugar and caffeine. Sugar and caffeine can make children restless and over-active making it difficult for them to pay attention in class. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that children under 12 consume no caffeine and that adolescent intake be limited to 100 mg per day or less.
- Provide your child with routine and structure. Children thrive on structure and feel most secure when they know what to expect from day to day.
- Set appropriate limits and boundaries. Children are not just little adults and do not have the brain development yet to always know what is good for them. They rely on adults to keep them safe and healthy.
- Provide positive reinforcement for good behavior. Everyone likes to know when they are doing a good job. Let your child know when you are proud of them, their accomplishments and their behavior.
- Use effective and appropriate discipline when necessary. Most experts agree that physical punishment should never be used. Never discipline your child when you are angry. You are more likely to demonstrate out of control behavior. Instead, take a moment to cool down, and then decide how to handle the situation.
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