How To Manage 4 Year Olds
Everyone is aware of the “terrible two’s” but it can be just as hard to deal with four-year-olds.Parents of four-year-olds dream their children will listen and obey every word they say. It’s definitely not an easy task, but there are many ways to go about helping you achieve this end.
The following are four quick tips from Sherilyn’s Walnut Creek Day Care that will help you improve your four year old’s response to you.
First, be persistent in listening to your child. It is very important that you acknowledge what it is that they’re saying, and until you do, it is very difficult for a child to move beyond that thought. You can avoid fighting with your child by essentially entering the world that they’re describing. This is illustrated in acknowledging their desire such as when they find a toy in the store they want, simply acknowledging (without necessarily buying), “You’d like this toy, wouldn’t you?”
Second, when your child is acting up, be sure to tell them exactly what you expect from them instead of telling them what you don’t want from them. It is simply a way to say the same thing but in positive terms.Just this can have a monumental effect on the closeness of you and your child.
Third, discipline your child calmly. A calm punishment accompanied by an explanation as to why you are punishing them can be very effective. It is also important not to apologize when punishing your child. What you are doing is not wrong, and if you refrain from doing it, it might only perpetuate the bad behavior. Apologizing to your child is very important at times, but only when you know that you are in the wrong. Simply because punishment is painful to them does not make it wrong.
Finally, follow through with the punishments you have alluded to. Failure to do so reduces the integrity of your word and confuses the child. If you threaten, “If you don’t do this then you’re not going to go to your friend’s house tomorrow,” and they fail to do what you asked, it is imperative that you do not take your child to their friend’s house. It is also important therefore that threats not be unrealistic in their punishment.Although it may frighten your child, if you hold firm to what you said, it might not be a fitting punishment for the offense. Make sure your child understands that you are someone who follows through on their words.
If you are looking for Walnut Creek Child Care, take a look at Sherilyn’s Walnut Creek Preschool for young toddlers. The children at this home day care seem relaxed, social, happy, and the learning program is excellent.