Do's and Don'ts: Three Good Child-Rearing Rules to Keep in Mind
1) Reward good behavior and do it quickly and often. A child's good behavior will be positively reinforced and therefore strengthened when they receive a reward from a caregiver. Social rewards are the most effective rewards and include smiles, hugs, kisses, words or praise, eye contact and attention. Other rewards include activity rewards such as going to the park or helping to bake cookies and material rewards like ice cream, money or a compact disc. Social rewards are the most powerful, easiest to give and least expensive. The other types of rewards should be used less often. It is important for parents to remember that they are the most important reward for their children. It is very important to keep in mind that especially in younger children rewards need to immediately follow the behavior.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++2) Avoid accidentally rewarding bad behavior. This will strengthen the bad behavior and is a very easy trap for parents to fall into. One example is when a child whines to get their parents attention. If a parent gives the child attention while they are whining, even if this attention is to yell at their child, it will act to reward the bad behavior of whining. Parents are very prone to making this mistake,
3) Punish some bad behavior by using mild punishment. Examples of mild punishment include time-out, scolding, natural consequences and logical consequences.
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