How to encourage positive behaviour at home
Parenting doesn’t come with a manual and from time to time you may be questioning yourself, “am I doing the right thing?” The answer is that YES, YOU know what’s best for your child. There are many ways to tackle challenging behaviours at home. The key is to think positively even when you might feel like you want to give up. You have the power to promote positive behaviour!
As a teacher of 4 years and private tutor, Fiona Mcmanus has tried and tested many ways to tackle children’s behaviour in the classroom. She believes that positive praise and positive rewards have a much greater impact on a child’s behaviour than shouting, nagging and negative reactions.
When it comes to challenging behaviours at home, less is more. Here are Fiona’s tips on how you can encourage positive behaviour and introduce rewards at home.
Agree positive behaviour targets
Behaviour charts are a great tool for children to map their progress visually. The key here is to keep it simple. Agree with your child to work towards no more than three specific targets e.g. not throwing objects or focusing on homework for 10 minutes. Then, set up a chart showing each day of the week (you can further split each day into morning, afternoon and evening if you wish). Each day, the child will aim to achieve a set number of ticks for positive behaviour.
Don’t over reward
Don’t go overboard with rewarding. Agree on the number of weekly ticks the child is aiming for at the beginning. Decide on a weekly or monthly reward for your child if they achieve their targets (e.g. 10 minutes of iPad time), an ice cream or a trip to the park. This chart allows the child to not only decide and understand their targets but visibly see the ticks that they have achieved. They also have a goal to work towards which incentivises them.
For larger families
For families with more than one child at home, try the Dojo award system. It’s a free online programme that allows you to add points (Dojos) for positive behaviour and making good choices. These points can also be taken away for not making good choices. At the end of the week the child with the most dojos will receive a reward from a treat box. Big tip; keep rewards as experiences and special time spent together rather than material objects or gifts.
Managing active behaviour at home
Some children, especially those who may diagnosed with ADHD or certain forms of autism may find it hard to sit still during homework time or downtime at home. Introduce fiddle toys. These work really well to help children to concentrate at home and at school. Wobble cushions or chairs are also fabulous at helping children that enjoy ‘active sitting’ i.e. those who struggle to stay seated for long periods of time or like to swing on chairs.
Ask for support
SENsational Tutors Ltd. offer strictly non-judgemental, highly personalised behavioural support service packages in London to transform the well being of children and parents. Their child behaviour specialists and experts tutors can provide your family with the tools to cope with challenging behaviour for those diagnosed with, or with possible: autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, Dyslexia, ADHD/ADD, Global Developmental delay, Language, Communication and Processing challenges or other additional needs.
Fiona is an enthusiastic, qualified tutor in London who believes that a love of learning can be contagious! She currently teaches Year 5 and previously Year 3. Qualified teacher KS1 and KS2, Primary years specialist, PSHE coordinator.
