ARTICLES
Acting out their Age, or Something Worse? (continued)
Think about when you drive past a speed camera. What do most
people do? They temporally slow down, but once they’ve passed
the camera they usually speed up again.
Punishment also has a number of unintended consequences,
such as undermining relationships. It can lead to rebellion and
reduces a person’s autonomy and problem-solving skills.
Effective strategies to improve behaviour
Using positive behavioural strategies not only decreases
unwanted behaviour, it promotes positive social behaviour and
strengthens relationships. Some strategies will be more effective
than others, depending on the child’s preferences. Try a few
different strategies, and if one doesn’t work, stop using it. Move
to another technique. Try some of these effective strategies:
If a child's own behaviour causes them distress, this may be a
signal that they have more severe behavioural issues.
• give attention through warmth and affection when your child is
behaving appropriately. Tell them what about their behaviour
you like, and smile when praising. For example, “I really like
when you listen carefully; we can get so much more done and
get to the good things faster”;
Pitfalls of punishment
• give praise and rewards immediately after the desirable
behaviour is displayed, rather than waiting until later;
Meltdowns, yelling and defiance or even being ignored by a
child is usually normal – most likely, they are just acting their age.
For the majority of children, instances of disruptive behaviour are
minor in nature and infrequent. Importantly though, it’s possible
to prevent difficult behaviour by using some effective, evidence-
based strategies.
• think about what your child would value as a reward so it has
appeal and drives their motivation to be good. Would they
prefer time to play on a device, a toy, food treat, or choice of a
movie?
• for particularly challenging behaviour, consider setting up
a reward chart. Reward your child frequently throughout
the day by catching them being good and when you notice
improvements, gradually reduce how often you reward them;
Research shows using positive strategies to address difficult
behaviour is more effective than using punishment or coercion.
Although you might notice an immediate response, punishment
only temporarily stops the behaviour, and it’s likely the behaviour
will appear again in the future.
• offering choices helps them feel ownership over decision-
making and assists them in evaluating the consequences of
their choices;
• know when to ignore, and when to intervene. It’s unrealistic
to discipline every challenging behaviour, so ignore the little
things. Consider overlooking the occasional mess, whining or
slowness to respond to requests;
• give clear instructions and set behaviour expectations, such
as “Use a talking voice at all times” or “Keep your hands and
feet to yourself” and so on. Negotiating the expectations with
your child will increase their commitment to follow them. The
effectiveness of setting rules is maximised by also negotiating
rewards for successfully following them and consequences if
they do not;
• before you leave the house, remind them of the rules, and the
rewards for following them;
• actively listen to your child by stopping what you’re doing and
taking time out. Behaviour concerns often arise because the
child is seeking your attention.
Punishment can have a number of negative consequences,
including rebellion.
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 67 NO 2