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Taking Control of Their Actions
5 Ways to Encourage Self-Discipline
By Lisamarie Sanders
4. Let children make mistakes.
All people, young and old alike, learn from their mistakes. Don't deny your children this opportunity. If your child makes a poor choice, instead of stepping in to resolve the issue, discuss with her how she can make it right. "Having the child determine what to do to make it right offers a sense of ethics rather than a forced power," says Fletcher. For example, if your 2-year-old grabs a toy out of another child's hand, don't reinforce the behavior by pulling it out of her hand. Instead, explain that it was an inappropriate behavior, and ask her what she should do to make it right. She will most likely decide to do the right thing, and she will have learned a valuable lesson.
5. Be compassionate.
Phillips, founder of www.coachparenting.com, encourages parents to "be compassionate and understanding of how difficult self-discipline can be." Acknowledge the feelings of sadness, anger or disappointment that sometimes come as a result of making the right choice. Let your child know when you experience those feelings, too.
Although only the child himself can control his self-discipline, using these suggestions will get him headed in the right direction.