7 Steps to Correcting Behaviors…

7 STEPS TO CORRECTING BEHAVIORS

Dealing with difficult behavior can be challenging. We

want kids to listen and comply with our instructions,

but unfortunately kids don't always listen, and we

need a fail-safe way to correct behaviors in the

moment. This guide is taken from

smarterparenting.com which provides some great

resources for parents and teachers to help guide

children to making better choices by learning from

their mistakes.

1. Get the child's attention to stop the "problem" behavior.

2. Express empathy (ex. I realize how frustrating it can be to have someone take

away your toy, but we cannot hurt our friends.)

3. Describe the "problem" behavior. Be sure to be descriptive but avoid judging

your child or asking questions. (What I saw was that you hit your friend and hands

are not for hitting)

4. Deliver a consequence. The consequence should be doable and is meant to

teach not punish your child. A natural consequence should be used first. (ex.

"Hitting is not how we get a toy from our friend Amal. You may not play with Amal

until after snack time or you may not play with this toy until after snack time"). A

natural consequence of hitting friends is that they don't want to play with us and

that we don't get our way using hitting.