Strong parents do not need to yell and scream at their children to be effective. Yelling is a parenting symptom that communicates as much about the parenting skills of a parent as an X-ray reveals the condition of a broken arm. If you frequently need to yell at your child you are probably dealing with the effects of inconsistent parenting and a child who has learned to be noncompliant and/or inattentive. Yelling is an ineffective parenting tool. It does not work. As a matter of fact, it makes the child’s behavior worse. So stop yelling and a) follow-through on your requests and b) be consistent. Don’t teach your child to listen to you only when you are yelling. Teach your child to listen to you the first time when you are not yelling. It is important to mean what you say and say what you mean. Follow-through each and every time, the first time, without yelling, and then your child will learn to follow your directions the first time you make a request. The more you yell, the more your children become accustomed to your yelling and the louder you must yell to have the same effect. It is a vicious cycle that only you can stop.
Thought for the Day
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