Discipline!!!! Such a hard thing to do.....

On my poll most of you said that discipline is the hardest thing for you so I decided to publish this post hoping that my mistakes will help someone else!!!
I have found that in the last 4 years of my sons life he has tested me to the highest degree. I am generally a very mellow person, but I have to admit that I have been surprised with myself with the way I react to his misbehavior. I have come to terms with myself and realized that I have a problem too and I need to react differently when he does something wrong. And I will tell you I wish I would have tried this 2 years ago, it is amazing the difference I see in him and me. Don't get me wrong some days I have to take a step back from my normal routine and remember what that I am trying to be better!!! Here are a few things that I have noticed that helps for me.

Important Reminders about Discipline:
1.Stay calm and do not get carried away when your child misbehaves. Avoid yelling and screaming, since this can teach your child that it is all right to lose control if you don't get your way. If you feel like things are escalating too much, then take a break until you can regain your composure. (this is a huge one for me, I noticed the biggest change in my son when I am more calm, but firm. It is soooo hard to do sometimes.)
2.Avoid too much criticism. Make sure your child understands that it is the misbehavior that you are unhappy with and that you will always love him.
3.Avoid too much praise. You don't need to be continuously praising your child, especially for routine activities, because it will make your comments less effective.
4.Don't focus on negatives all of the time, especially when offering positive reinforcement. It is much better to say ‘I like that you put all of your clothes away,' instead of saying ‘I like that, for once, you finally got around to putting your clothes away without my asking.'
5.Avoid physical punishment. Spanking has never been shown to be more effective than other forms of punishment and will make your child more aggressive and angry.
6.Remember to give rewards and praise for good behavior.
7.Understand the difference between rewards and bribes. A reward is something your child receives after he has done something, while a bribe is given beforehand, to try and motivate your child to do what you want. Bribes should be avoided.
8.Be a good role model.
Most importantly, provide your child with a safe environment in which he feels secure and loved.

Sometimes these things are so difficult! But that's why we are down here right? to learn and grow, so lets show our little ones how to be better people and that everyone even big people make mistakes!
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