Managing Misbehaviour
What is discipline?
The word ‘discipline’ comes from a Latin word which literally means ‘education’ or ‘training’ – essentially teaching.
Three-Question Behaviour Management Approach
- Reason: What is happening for my child?
- Lesson: What would I like him/her to learn from this?
- Teaching: What is the best way for me to teach this lesson?
Often you will be asking questions such as,
“What do you think that was like for your friend?”
“What could you do differently next time?”
“How can you make this better? Do you need some help fixing this?”
It may also be helpful to ask yourself,
“How would I feel if I was taught this lesson in this way?”
“Would I feel motivated and better equipped to behave differently next time?”
When you have a child who poses an aggression risk to others, he or she needs to be shadowed more closely. By responding and teaching at the time, rather than reacting afterwards, children can learn improved behaviour and emotional control more quickly.
What a child needs when they are struggling to learn to behave:
- Increased supervision / shadowing
- Lots of repetition
- Broad, creative teaching approaches, such as modelling, role play and books.
Remember, when we view a child as having a problem, we can start to formulate the best ways to help.
