Play Simon Says– This helps children work on their self control because they have to stop themselves from doing anything that doesn’t begin with “Simon says….” They also have to remember the rules in order to be successful at this game which builds their working memory.
Help your child think of alternative behaviors – If you want your child to avoid doing one thing, then you have to replace that behavior with an appropriate one. For example, if your child’s first impulse when she hears you say it's time to leave a playdate is to say No loudly, and you want her to stop, you need to talk to her about something different to do. For example, maybe you would like her to take a deep breath and say ok. If you want the new behavior to stick than you should praise her when she does a good job.
Give your child consistency and routines – Research has shown that when children know what to expect and have parents who are consistent in their responses, they have better self control. When children know what to expect and what the rules are, they are better able to follow them and develop self control.
Model it – The best way to teach your child a skill is to let them see you do it. Children are always watching adults to see how they are going to handle a situation. For example, if you are losing your patience while waiting on a long line in the grocery store with your child, that is a good time to model being patient on line and being a good "wait-er." You should talk to your child about how you made the choice to be patient and how you were able to do it, even though you weren't feeling patient. Maybe you counted to 10, or decided to think of something funny that happened that made you laugh, or maybe you distracted yourself by singing a song in your head. These are all ideas that you can give to your child by teaching them and showing them how it's done.
Self Control is a very important regulation skill. Just remember the next time you want to tell your child to “Stop!”, that it’s not as easy as it sounds. But together, as a team you can help your child to build on this skill.
댓글