Jayne Whyte's Portfolio

All parents want to raise children with sound moral character, who know good from bad and right from wrong. We want them to be considerate, honest, compassionate and kind. A parent advisor once said ” it is a process that we need to work on day after day, year after year. She advises that parents need to constantly articulate right from wrong, and model appropriate behaviour. Eventually your child will internalize your message, and they will become the core of his or her character”.
So the question now becomes how do we ensure that our children follow the rules when we are not around them.

Number One: Show your child with love and attention; building a nurturing bond from the start when the child is about 2 year makes it easier for easy communication. Studies have shown that babies who developed a secure bond with their mothers by 14 months were more receptive to discipline. This is a good time to teach them how to share their toys, help tidy up after play and also not to hit other children.

Number Two: Demand Respect; Make your demands for respect strong and clear. As toddlers, if your kids get away with being disrespectful they will dismiss your authority. You can say NO to an extra bar of chocolate and really mean it. They will learn to respect your opinion. Set your rules and do not break them.

Number Three: Practice what you preach; I don’t want to sound like a broken record but I would want to emphasize here that it is what you present as you to your kids that they would see and eventually learn. If you want your kids to be decent, moral human beings you have to be their role model. For example, if you lie about your not being in the house, when a friend calls in the presence of your kids, how do you expect your kids to behave any different? As parents we need to tell them the right thing to do.

Number Four: Spend time with your kids; It could be indoor or outdoor; watching movies or going shopping together.look for opportunities to show them what is wrong or right. For example you are watching a movie together with your kids, you pick out bully and tell them why being a bully is bad and how to report if they experience being bullied at school. Encouraging them when they do well to do better is also very important.

Number Five: Purpose driven discipline ; Studies have shown that one of the best ways to build a conscience in kids is to set limits and consequences that help drive the lesson home.

Cheers.