Being a parent is not without its responsibilities, with one of the main ones being to ensure they remain well-behaved. As any good parenting course will show you, a key element in this process is setting boundaries. This means defining imaginary lines over which they're not allowed to exceed.
What Happens If Children Have No Boundaries?
Children need both parental guidance and boundaries, as, without them, they can quickly become entitled and misbehave. If they don't see any kind of action as being wrong, it won't be long until they encounter someone in the outside world that takes exception to what they do.
If you don't teach them boundaries as part of their personal development, they may get a rude awakening when entering the real world.
How Do You Set Boundaries In Place With Children?
There's no such thing as a parent helpline to get you through the process, but so long as you set clear boundaries and communicate them in a way that can't be misinterpreted, you should be fine. Let's now take a look at five other things you can do.
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Tip #1 - Check For Understanding Of House Rules
When introducing new house rules and boundaries, you need to get your child to understand them fully - otherwise, how can they be expected to adhere to them? You don't necessarily need to go as far as getting them to sign a house charter (although some parents do), but as a minimum, they must understand the rules and acknowledge their existence.
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Tip #2 - Display Rules Clearly In the Home
In order to avoid the 'I didn't know!' excuse when a rule has been broken, it pays to provide a prominent reminder in the home somewhere. A fridge is a good place, as is the house notice board - so long as it's prominent enough not to be ignored. It also helps to write the consequences of not following the rules too.
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Tip #3 - Offer Rewards & Incentives
If you take online study courses in parenting, you'll soon discover that you can't always use threats to get your child to behave as they should. That's because it creates a negative association with following the rules, so you should inject some positivity into things by offering incentives for doing what they should.
It might be a trip to the cinema, a bowling night, or a takeout pizza - whatever provides the necessary get up and go!
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Tip #4 - Follow Through On Punishments
Rules don't mean much if there's no punishment for breaking them. As such, when a rule has been clearly broken as set down, an appropriate punishment needs to be given, like grounding, no TV, or having to do the dishes.
If you don't, and you soften and let them off, you simply make a rod for your own back where your child expects you to give in. When that happens, it's only a matter of time until the rules you've created are forgotten for good.
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Tip #5 - Be Consistent With Everyone
When boundaries have been set in the home, they need to apply to all the children in the home, as well as the adults. There's nothing more likely to sew seeds of discontent if one person gets to do a certain thing and the other doesn't. Stating “I’m the adult, so I can” won't help either, as you'll only lose their respect and trust. Being consistent is key to the whole plan work.
When establishing house rules and boundaries, you need to be stoic yet patient, as you might initially experience teething problems. That said, typically, kids like the feeling of safety that comes with boundaries, so stay strong, as your excellent work will pay off in the end.
Become A Better Parent With Short Courses Online
As a parent, you don’t get a manual to guide you, so it's never easy. However, by following the guidelines shown here today, you’re likely to have a much better time of things in the long run. However, if you feel like you need to build on your current parenting skills, it’s never been simpler or more affordable thanks to OCA short online courses that are both CPD Endorsed and mentally stimulating.
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To find out more about this, our flexible payment plans, or the fact that every course comes with one-to-one mentor support, check us out today at www.onlinecoursesaustralia.edu.au or call us at 1300 611 404 or email us at [email protected] and we’ll reply without delay.
