7 Alternative Ways to Correct a Child

Children are bound to make mistakes. Just like adults, they are likely to say or act in ways that are inappropriate. The most important thing is how you correct them when they go wrong. Corrective measures for children who do the wrong things are usually dependent on the adults around them and most importantly the acceptable social norms with regard to correcting bad behaviour.

Though some people believe that the most effective corrective measure is to spank the child, there are other ways by which parents can correct their children without beating them up. Check out seven of them.

1. Praise child when they do the right thing- This comes first because doing this reinforces good behaviour and sets the tone for children to understand what is acceptable and what isn’t. Praising children encourages them to keep doing the right thing because just like you, children like to be showered with praises.

2. Talk to them- We often make a mistake by thinking that children do not understand the things we say to them; they do. When you take time to explain things to children and encourage them to desist from bad behaviour, it is highly likely to work.

3. Withdraw something they love- To help correct bad behaviour in your child, take away something he/she likes and promise to reward them with it when they do the right thing.

4. Do not embarrass them- Embarrassing a child with their weakness is one sure way of getting them to stay away from you and in most cases, repeat the undesirable action. It is important to ensure that you do not correct or rebuke children in the presence of their peers. That is likely to affect their happiness, confidence and self-esteem.

5. Allow yourself to get into their world and let them see you like an ally rather than a fearful figure. Correction works better when children feel you understand them and see things from their perspective. Tell them you understand why they acted the way they did and advise them on the right thing to do.

6. Give them better alternatives- Sometimes children act out of ignorance and are not aware of better alternatives to get the results they desire. To correct children, give them positive alternatives and they will drift towards the positive alternatives you present to them.

7. Listen to what the child has to say- Instead of punishing them immediately, why don’t you give them a chance to explain? You will be amazed by the reasons why some children act the way they do.

Correction must not always be punitive and harsh. Sometimes, it is prudent to take alternative measures to correct a child.  These alternative measures are more likely to encourage positive behaviour.