Tantrum-free kids in 21 days
Educational psychologist Michele Borba, author of 23 child-rearing books, maintains that kids’ bad behaviour habits can be re-set using “the Rule of 21.” By that she means it takes at least 21 days of time, effort and consistency for parents to teach their children how to replace negative behaviour with positive performance.
The payoff is permanent change, she says.
Michele recently shared several tips on how to change your child’s bad behavior with the Star Phoenix.
10 ways to give children effective criticism
By Gregory Ramey, Ph.D., Contributing Writer
7:46 PM Friday, March 12, 2010
There are times when parents have to correct their children’s misbehavior. This doesn’t come easily to most parents, who may be fearful that criticisms will result in a poor self-concept. Some parents seem to place a higher priority on being their kids’ friend and would rather not deal with bad behavior.
Compliments alone don’t work with children, and in fact will lose their significance if not combined with corrective feedback.
Click here to read Greg’s 10 suggestions to make sure your criticism is effective:
Gregory Ramey, Ph.D., is a child psychologist and vice president for outpatient services at The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. For more of his columns, visit www.childrensdayton.org/ramey.
Teens do better with limits
Here’s some good news for parents of tweens and teens: You rule.
Studies show parents who keep setting boundaries make a huge difference. In other words, “parenting works,” even for teens, says Alanna Levine, a pediatrician in Tappan, N.Y., and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Other recent studies have found:
•Teens who had a bedtime of 10 p.m. or earlier, set by parents, got more sleep and were less likely to be depressed or consider suicide than those allowed to stay up past midnight. (The study was published in Sleep in January.)
•Teen drivers whose parents set and enforced rules were more likely to wear seat belts and less likely to speed, get in crashes, drink and drive, or use cellphones while driving. (That study was in Pediatrics in September.)
•Teens whose parents set rules also smoke less, delay sex and do better in school, research shows.
In the driving study, as in many other studies, the most effective parents were those researchers call “authoritative.” They set firm rules but explain and enforce them in a warm, supportive way. Parents who set no rules, fail to enforce them or rule with a “because I said so” iron grip are less effective.
14 Biggest Parenting Trends of 2010 (iVillage.com)
“From Facebook pages for baby to Suri’s mini-heels and a return to date night (thanks, Obamas!), we talked to the experts to find out what’s next for how we’re raising our kids. Check out the biggest parenting trends for 2010.”
—Jessica Snyder Sachs and Jenny Isenman
To Read More, Click here…
