There is no doubt that disciplining your children is not an easy matter. The parenting mistakes that parents make can have a negative impact on their children’s personalities in the future. Thus, it’s very important for parents to learn the appropriate parenting principles to form positive character in their children.
That said, the appropriate parenting style can help foster a sense of caring, independence, honesty, and joy in children. Aside from that, good parenting can also support intelligence and protect children from mental health issues and even alcohol and drug abuse.
It is known that the main principle of good parenting is to raise and discipline children with love, along with giving them support, guidance, and a space to tell their problems to you as a friend. If you wonder what the five principles of parenting are for developing positive character in children, you can dive into our post to find out. Here you go!
5 Principles of Parenting for Developing Positive Character in Children
As a parent, you need to know the correct principles that go hand in hand to both build a strong bond and develop positive characters through their childhood. The main principles of positive parenting rest on five principles, including:
1. Being the best role model for your children
One of the best ways to discipline your children is to be the best role model for them. As a parent, it’s very important for you to try to figure out how to be the best role model for them.
If you want to develop positive character in your children, make sure to set a good example for them, e.g., by always telling the truth, behaving well and politely towards other people and your children too, helping others without expecting anything in return, and doing other positive things.
In addition, you can also show them how to live a healthy life, such as by eating vegetables and fruits every day, taking out the trash where it belongs, brushing teeth after eating and before going to bed, and other good behaviors you can model for your children.
2. Avoid overindulging your children
If you do not want your children to become spoiled, you have to sort out which things have to be obeyed and which do not. For example, if your children cry at bedtime because they want to watch television or play with a gadget, make sure not to give in to what they want. Another example: when your children want to buy things that they do not need, never buy them.
Read also: Parental Control Tips for Kids Mobile Phone
Even though you really understand that disciplining your children can help them develop positive character traits, you shouldn’t nag and hit them when they make mistakes. Instead of nagging them a lot, it’d be better for you to scold them gently and firmly, as well as give them understanding when they make a mistake. Never forget to praise them when they manage to do something good.
3. Always spend quality time with your children every day
Since they want to get attention from parents, your children may behave badly. No matter how busy you are, make sure to always spend quality time with your children every day. It does not mean that you must be by their side all the time since your children also need their own space.
Spending quality time with your children can be done by having breakfast together, attending events they do, taking them to school, or talking before bed about the activities that they do all day. These may be simple, but they are very memorable for your children.
4. Build independence in children from very early age
To develop positive character in your children, you may need to build independence in them at a very young age. Building independence in children can be done by giving them trust, praise, and chances, such as by teaching them to tidy up their own toys or beds, getting them used to preparing their own school supplies, etc.
When your children enter adolescence, you can support them and help them solve their problems by discussing and giving them some great ways to take their best action. Keep in mind that becoming independent is also not easy for children. Of course, you have to praise them and show affection for every effort and success. When they make mistakes, never mock them or even compare them with other children.
5. Set rules with reasons
There is no doubt that setting rules can really help children learn self-control and distinguish between good and bad behavior. When making rules, you also have to explain the reasons why these rules were made. For example, telling them to use electricity only as needed to save costs, not to overuse gadgets since it will be bad for their eye health, etc.
Of course, it’s not easy to consistently apply these principles since every parent has limitations, both in terms of time and energy. However, if you make a serious effort to apply these principles consistently, you can really get the best results.
Aside from that, you also have to understand that environment and age can affect your children’s behavior. It would be better for you to apply these principles of parenting based on the children’s developmental phases and ages.
If you are having difficulty implementing these parenting principles for developing positive character in your children, you can try to seek advice from other parents, your parents, or a teacher at your children’s school. If necessary, you can also talk to a psychologist to figure out the best methods to discipline your children. Good Luck!!!
