Behavior Management Strategies for Early Childhood

Natural and Logical Consequences

• When a child misbehaves, he can learn the most from these situations if it is followed by a natural or logical consequence. A natural consequence is something that happens as a direct result of the child's actions. For example, when a child stays up very late, the next day he will feel tired; or when she touches a hot object, it will burn. Most of the time a natural consequence is too dangerous to allow a child to experience, so parents opt for logical consequences instead. This is when there is a connection between the child's misbehavior and the result. An example of this would be if the child is riding his bike in the street, he will lose the privilege of riding his bike for a period of time.

Time Out

• There are times when a child's behavior warrants a time-out, which is simply removing her from the setting until she demonstrates appropriate behavior. This can be done by having the child sit on a particular chair or go to their room immediately after the misbehavior. In order for this strategy to be effective, it must be used consistently and repeated as often as needed, but not excessively. Time-outs require parents to be very patient and it is not uncommon for children to increase the negative behavior when a time-out is first implemented as children are testing to see if parents will follow through with what they say.

Rewards

• It is most important for parents to reward positive behaviors they see in their children, rather than dwelling on the misbehavior. Rewards can be as simple as praise or a hug, but children need to know that the appropriate behavior was acknowledged. Negative behaviors can usually be replaced by more appropriate ones, giving parents a chance to reward the positive behavior. For example, if a child often fights with a sibling, a parent can find a time when the child is being kind and reward that behavior with lots of praise. This takes effort on the part of the parents to be observant of the child's behaviors and notice all of the times he is doing what is expected.

Loving Relationships

• Most behavior management strategies will not be effective unless there is a positive, loving relationship between the parent and child. Children need to know they will get attention from their parents without misbehaving, so it is important for parents to find quality time to spend with their young children. Even small improvements in behaviors can be celebrated and recognized so that children have a desire to continue pleasing their parents. When parents view discipline as a way to teach and guide their child, everyone will feel more successful.