4 factors in guiding children’s behavior.

It’s easy to adopt new habits but difficult to break them, most especially the bad ones.

So, it is advisable to focus on children’s daily activities for it is known that…

Habits are what we engage in daily.

Successful building of good habits starts with DISCIPLINE.

Discipline is intended to provide a conducive and consistent atmosphere in which children can work without undue disturbance or interface. It leads to peace, harmony, and progress by making individuals realize the importance of a decent and desirable society. To help children become self-disciplined as they learn appropriate and acceptable behavior are important patterns.

These methods of guiding behavior are important so parents and caregivers should first consider guidance principles based on the following factors:

A. Child Development

1. Each child is a unique individual;

By nature, children differ in terms of their activity level, distractibility, and sensitivity. Parents and caregivers who accept and understand these differences in children’s styles will be in a better position to offer effective and appropriate guidance for them.

2. Children’s Behaviour reflects their level of development;

When adults recognize that growth entails both experiments and making mistakes and that difficulties are normal, expected part of children’s development, they tend to be more accepting and patient with socially unacceptable behavior. It is important to have reasonable expectations which are consistent with each child’s developmental abilities. When adults have an understanding of appropriate developmental issues for children, they’re more effective in dealing with them.

3. Children’s experience in their family and culture influences their behavior pattern;

Expectations for behavior vary greatly from family to family, and from culture to culture. Some may place a higher value on compliance, dependence, and respect for elders, while others may give priority to risk-taking, assertiveness, and independence.

B. Environment

The environment refers to all that surrounds a child. This includes both physical and social elements.

1. Play materials;

When toys and learning materials are in good supply, familiar, and developmentally appropriate, children are encouraged to focus and become involved in productive learning experiences.

2. Space;

How space is used can either encourage or discourage behaviors. Where space is sufficient, children can play and work in a relaxed setting. Sufficient space must be available for the program of activities. Where areas are specifically designated for adults or children, and/or for individuals or groups, conflict is minimized. In short, a space that is aesthetically pleasing, planned, and organized contributes to an environment that promotes good mental health and diminishes the potential for problems.

C. People — Adults and children.

Adults who are committed to nurturing and guiding young children create an atmosphere that fosters trust, security, and comfort. An adult’s verbal and physical communications skills are critical in modeling the behavior they wish children to learn. When children are in an environment that encourages caring and cooperative relationships, they learn to relate to each other in positive ways.

D. Time/program schedule:

Schedules, routines, and transitions serve as a framework from which children gain trust, security, and order. While these can be flexible to some degree, they must provide children with clear guidelines about what is expected. Meeting children’s needs throughout the day requires that time be appropriately balanced between active and restful periods, individual and group activities, and child-initiated/adult-initiated content.

These factors should be put in mind when building behaviors in children…

Freedom of expression gives you an insight into who your children are becoming…