Guiding with consistity and Love

As we studied and went over, Steinberg (2004) emphasizes the importance of providing consistent, loving discipline, which helps children develop emotional security and self-regulation, it helped me understand and put into practice the act of changing parenting styles with children on different emotional levels. It helped me understand the security that a child seeks and looks for and how to give it to them in a receptive way. I’ve broken down some key points in.

Why Consistency matters in child development

Children need constant guidance to understand boundaries and feel secure. When parents enforce rules in an effective and upbuilding way it can help children feel secure and a sense of responsibility. As a parent, being calm and focused isn’t always the best option. In times of crisis and panic, being calm and collected to a child in their mind comes off as foolish.

According to research, children raised in stable, structured environments often developed better self-control and experienced fewer behavioral problems. ( Smtih & Forehand, 2021) In our class reading, it was emphasized that consistency in discipline, expectations, and roles didn’t just reinforce behaviors of standards, but also helped foster emotional behavior, respect, and emotional skill.

Balance discipline with consistency

Discipline is a scary thought in many parents’ minds because we don’t want to be harsh or abusive in cases of discipline. Discipline techniques are different for each child and their needs and emotional level. Discipline shouldn’t be exempted based on gender and be treated differently for that matter. Instead, teaching the child based on their personality and showing them how to be the best that they can be.

How to Create a Positive Discipline Strategy

• Establish Clear Expectations: Having clear boundaries and expectations for children in roles in the family and in different environments gives the child a set of expectations they must follow in school, home, and other extracurricular activities. Children with clear boundaries can help them govern themselves and teach them how to act and behave from an early age.
• Follow through with expectations: Once rules are established and expectations are set, it’s important to stick through with expectations and rewards. This teaches kids that they have consistency and that they can’t get away with unexcitable behavior. The reward shouldn’t be task-oriented, it should be in a way of surprising and rewarding a child for they themselves being consistent.
• Use positive reinforcement: As we praise a child’s positive behavior, we show them that we recognize them and what they are doing. celebrating small wins and accomplishments is a great way of reinforcing positive behavior.
• Be patient: Children take a lot of time and patience to nurture and to help them develop[e and recognize their own emotions. We have to understand that they might not understand and recognize the application of different parenting methods. By being an effective listener, a parent can truly know and understand their child and create connections and relationships with their children.

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