Written by Dr. Carosso
When we think of behavior management, we tend to think of time-honored strategies such as time-out, loss of privilege, or "grounding" a child. We tend to think of "behavior management" as how a child's behavior will be managed.
Instead, we may be better-off to think of behavior management of how the parent or caregiver is going to "manage" their own behavior that will hopefully have a positive impact on their child. It could be said that a child's behavior, whether good or problematic, is a response to the parent's behavior and actions. Therefore, we may be more effective if we focus on our own behavior.
That means focusing on what we say, how we say it, how consistent we are, the relationship we have with our child, how often we praise, and how we model effective problem-solving, all of which has a profound effect on the child's behavior.
Consequently, as a parent, it may be helpful to think of "behavior management" in terms of how you are going to manage your own behavior, and adjust your responses to your child's behavior, to promote harmony within the family home.
Remember, you may have more success focusing on how you’ll change your own behavior, which will then have a positive impact on your child.
I'll be writing more in the days to come about how parents can "manage" their behavior to produce a positive outcome in their child's behavior. Stay tuned. If you found this to be helpful, forward to a friend and subscribe. God bless.
