Ways to Visually Show Good Behavior to Children

Walk Your Talk

• What a parent tells a child is far less important than what she shows her child. Talking about the importance of good nutrition while regularly picking up junk at the fast-food place doesn't reinforce healthy eating habits in kids. Instead, a parent should consistently be a visual reminder of the behaviors she wants her child to develop.

Praising Johnny

• Also known as the "Jedi mind trick," the following technique relies on how deeply children crave attention. They crave it so much that they will act out just to draw attention to themselves, even if it takes the form of scolding or punishment. A teacher should praise the child who is acting right instead of scolding a child who is acting out. The child learns that exhibiting good behavior is the price of getting attention and he will start adopting those good behaviors.

Gatekeeping the Role Models

• Parents and peers aren't the only people children imitate. They'll also imitate characters from books, television and video games. A parent or teacher can provide a visual example of good behavior by introducing to their children characters who possess the traits they want children to develop. Choose media with heroic protagonists and, as much as possible, carefully select the group of people who have influence over your child's behavior.

Role Playing

• Role playing activities can be effective for developing good behavior. Parents and children can take on the personas of people in an imaginary situation. This gives a child opportunity to learn good behavior and practice it in context. Parents can use this technique to practice for an upcoming event or to teach a child how to correctly behave in a situation where she previously had difficulty.