Part 3: Disciplining Your Child

So now that we’ve done the healthy routine and the love it’s time for the hard part: discipline.

Know That Children Need Limits: You’re starting to confuse me now WikiHow, children need limits but they also need independence and freedom? But WikiHow does encourage the use of ‘cognitive tools’ to ‘adjust unwanted behaviours’. Why yes, you can call me Freud.

Reward Your Child For Good Behaviour: Now this is one that I definitely had mixed up, because I was so sure that rewards were used to shut your child up when they were screaming bloody murder in the shopping centre. Is that not it?

Be Consistent: Look WikiHow, I can’t even get consistent bowel movements, what makes you think I’m going to get consistent in my parenting approach? Let’s just ride the wave together.

Explain The Rules: This is a lot harder than it sounds, especially when the person you’re trying to ‘explain the rules’ to is a screaming toddler doing their very best to drown out both you and your useless logic.

Teach Your Child To Take Responsibility For Their Actions: I’m ashamed to say this (not really) but considering I’ve blamed my child for some of my own actions (hello bad smell), this probably isn’t going to happen.