Last week, I mentioned monitoring my child’s progress through an incentive chart to achieve a certain goal - staying in bed for my older son and potty training with my younger one. Incentive charts can be a useful tool for teaching a child a new skill or desired repeatable behavior, from picking up toys to folding clothes to clearing the table without being asked. The key is consistency.
For the past week or two, I’ve published little snippets of discipline strategies as ideas or even reminders for us all. With summer here (and school out), I’ve found myself needing to re-evaluate our “game plan” at home and set some ground rules. Being consistent and clear in directions, and providing meaningful and effective consequences can establish the groundwork for a good, solid relationship with your child. It is equally important to give your child plenty of praise. Catching them being good, and letting them know about it, can be just as effective, if not moreso than many other forms of discipline.
