Every child needs self-discipline. This is the key for them to live more productive and fruitful lives without the need for excesses, or immediate self-gratification. Early on in childhood, it’s important for every parent to understand how to develop self-discipline in their child. Fortunately, teaching this important life skill may be possible using simple, everyday techniques that can be done daily. Read on to learn more.
Set reasonable rules
Any parent who is disciplining their child knows the importance of setting rules for the household. Especially now that children are spending much of their time at home, they need to be made aware of what is considered acceptable and non-acceptable behavior.
As a parent, you need to be able to set reasonable rules that your child can follow. Whether it is limiting the time they spend playing video games, setting a bedtime, or even choosing what dinner they have. Explain the importance behind these rules by letting them understand how simple limitations such as these can benefit them in the future.
Build their routine
One of the best ways which may be effective in building self-discipline in your child is by developing your home routine. As children, they are prone to just doing what makes them feel good at the moment. A strictly-defined routine can help build some sense of discipline and self-control even while they are young.
Routines are a great way of letting your child do some simple chores at the house, such as sweeping the floors, keeping their rooms clean, washing dishes, or taking out the trash. A consistent routine may help your child become more accustomed to things that should be done. They are able to separate personal from non-personal activities such as hobbies and school-related work, respectively.
Teach them to accept criticism
Children may be more reactive at their age, which is why they may have a hard time accepting criticism. However, you should let them know that constructive feedback is a way to encourage your children to be better individuals.
For example, if they throw a tantrum after being told not to use their tablet before bedtime, explain to them the reason behind the choice. Start by saying “I know you’re upset about this, but it’s not okay to react negatively just because you couldn’t do something that you wanted.” The more consistently they hear this from you, the less reactive they may be in the future.
Spend productive moments with them
Instead of spending money to buy things for your child, it may be a good idea to invest in quality time with them. Engaging in productive hobbies encourages your child to learn values like patience, perseverance, and self-control — just some of the key ingredients to learning self-discipline.
You can do activities like reading a book with them, painting, or learning an instrument — it’s up to you and your child to get creative. As with all hobbies, allow for some time for you and your child to engage in these activities and get better at it. This will help them develop the mindset that learning a skill takes time and discipline.
Help them solve problems
A mistake that parents may make, is proving for their children solutions, instead of teaching them how to solve the problem. It’s good for both you and your child to remember that you won’t always be there to spoon-feed solutions to their problems. Instead, you’ll want to equip them with the skills to learn how to handle issues they face in life.
Let’s say they have a particular math homework that they can’t figure out. Try not to provide your child with the answers, but rather offer a demonstration on how to arrive at the solution. As another example — if your child accidentally spills some water on the floor, instead of cleaning the mess up for them, tell them how they can properly clean it themselves and avoid the situation from taking place in the future.
Key Takeaway
The key to how to develop self-discipline in your child is to understand that the skills they’ll be learning in their childhood will also last up until their adulthood. Simple activities are teeming with lessons about self-discipline that are simply too valuable for you not to teach your child.
A great piece of advice is to be patient with your child. Children may be able to learn better through exposure and consistent action. Though these tips may take time to fully learn, they will provide your child with a good path to start on.
