Every man is full of different different habits - GOOD and BAD. And so are
the kids. Rather, it should be said that everybody starts developing habits
( good or bad ) in his /her childhood only. So it is an important responsibility
of all parents to provide a good atmosphere to the kids helping to grow as a
good human beings in every walk of life.
Now to provide an atmosphere, parents will have to be careful about certain
things. First, be patient and observe the behaviour of your kid. God has created
every human being in a unique different way, and so is your own kid - a unique
creation of super GOD. So please remember NEVER NEVER COMPARE HIM WITH ANYBODY
IN THE WORLD. Just observe him, and try to notice why he is behaving like that.
Parents find many habits and behaviors of their children .When you want to
change an unwanted behavior, it helps to first understand why your child is
doing it. Often bad habits are just a coping strategy. Your child may fall back
on these behaviors when they are stressed, bored, tired, frustrated, unhappy,
insecure, or falling asleep. Many of these "bad" habits are calming
and soothing to the child. Most of the time, these behaviors are just "phases"
or habits-not serious medical problems-and the child typically outgrows them.
Managing them can be difficult, however. In general, you should ignore bad habits.
Yelling, calling attention to the habit and punishment do not usually work to
stop the behavior (and may even increase it!), but praise, positive rewards,
and patience are likely to help.
- First, try ignoring the annoying behavior. Your child will probably outgrow
the habit with time. Giving a lot of attention (even though it's negative)
may actually encourage the behavior.
- Praise your child for good behavior. The best kind of praise simply describes
what you see that you'd like to see more of. Catch your child being good,
and tell them you noticed. For example, tell them you noticed they weren't
chewing their nails.
- It may be nearly impossible to stop the bad habit until the child becomes
interested in stopping. For example, a little girl may actually get enough
"benefit" out of biting her nails that she will not be willing to
stop. When she gets a little older, though, she may be interested in having
nice looking nails. Then you will be able to help her quit.
- If there are lots of behaviors you want to change, start by focusing on
one or two of the most bothersome or dangerous ones. Don't try to make too
many changes all at once.
- Try to figure out what may be making your child stressed, Give your child
chances to talk to you about things that might be worrying them-make eye contact.
- Let your child make decisions whenever possible, by giving them acceptable
choices. For example, "Would you rather have toast or cereal for breakfast?"
This will help your child feel in control, reducing stress and frustration.
- Have a few positively stated rules, and explain the reasons behind them.
- Make sure your child understands the results of breaking the rules.
- Sleep, and participation in age appropriate extracurricular activities at
school and in the community.
- Visit your doctor for regular well child exams and keep up to date on all
of the recommended vaccines.
- Learn effective discipline techniques. Keep in mind that discipline is not
just punishment, but instead is a "system of teaching and nurturing that
prepares children to achieve competence, self-control, self-direction, and
caring for others." (AAP definition)
- Avoid physical punishment, including spanking or yelling, that just reinforces
to your child that these behaviors are acceptable.
- Learn to pay positive attention to your child and give frequent praise,
so that he feels secure and loved.
- Limit television viewing and encourage reading and storytelling.
- Practice food safety: washing fruits and vegetables, not eating undercooked
meats or poultry, and not drinking unpasteurized milk or juices.
- Brush teeth with a fluoride toothpaste (use a non-fluoride toothpaste until
your child is able to spit it out) twice a day and have your child seen regularly
by a dentist (after age three). Encourage flossing each day once your child
is about eight years old.
- Supervise your child's use of the computer (younger children should not
have unsupervised access to the Internet), computer games, movies, and know
what they have access to at their friend's homes.
- Learn to communicate with your child, by avoiding too much criticism, actively
listening to his problems, and showing respect for his ideas.
- Help build your child's self esteem.
- Prepare your school age child for puberty and sexual development and begin
sexuality education, including that abstinence is the safest way to prevent
pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
It is also very important to begin communicating with your school age child
to help prevent them from picking up bad habits. Children whose parents talk
to them regularly are at much less risk for experimenting with cigarettes, alcohol
and drugs. Teach them how to avoid situations where drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes
are present and to choose friends who also choose not to use these substances.
Emphasize to them that these substances can hurt them, can make them sick, can
cause decrease lung function and problems playing sports, and that it is OK
to say no. Also, do not let them attend parties that are unsupervised by adults
and let your child know that they can communicate openly with you about these
difficult subjects. Watch for the warning signs of drug use, including a sudden
change in your child's behavior or personality, decreased performance in school,
or changes in what friends they associate with.
