Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697706457617.pdf (Dominica)
Be warm but firm and consistent in disciplining your children.

In addition, talk to them and let them know why, and what behaviours they are being disciplined for.

Bureau of Gender Affairs INTERVENTIONS FOR HELPING PARENTS SHAPE THEIR CHILDREN’S BEHAVIOUR Tel: 1 767 448 2401 Ex.

3023 or 3344 Bureau of Gender Affairs The Globe Building 106 Independent Street, Roseau COMMONWEALTH OF DOMINICA Telephone: (767) 4482401 Ext.
3023/3083 Telefax : (767) 4487855 Email : gender affairs @dominica.gov.dm www.dominica.gov.dm Increasing Your Children’s Desirable Behaviours  Positive reinforcement: In order to increase the behaviours that you would like your child to continue, reward and praise your child’s good behaviors.

For example, give verbal praise, hugs, enjoyable activities and tangible rewards.

Another form of reward would be to allow the child to choose a family activity.
Praise the child immediately following the good behavior, and describe to the child the child’s behavior which you the parent like.

In order to see results, you must reward/praise your child’s behaviours which you want to in- crease on several occasions and vary the rewards.

 Play with your child: While playing with your child, point out to your child, his/her strengths and skills.

During playtime you can also practice and model problem solving and other positive behaviours for your child.
Avoid trying to control the play and taking over.

Instead describe what is happening and what the child is doing.

Praise appropriate behavior and ignore negative behaviours as long as they are not destructive.

 Spend time with teenagers doing  something they enjoy.

Allow them to choose the activity.

Like with younger children, parents should make positive observations.

However during that time, do not ask questions, give directions, nor give corrections.
Giving Commands/Directions When giving commands/directions to your children, be clear and be specific.

Give one command at a time.

Include a time frame for when you expect the child to complete the task.

If the child does not complete the task, the parents should enforce the consequences of not following their directions.

Dealing With Your Children’s Undesirable Behaviours  Ignoring/Extinction: Sometimes children act out to get what they want and to get their parents’ attention.
By ignoring the children’s undesirable behaviors, such as arguing, whining or talking back, these behaviours will eventually be reduced.

Be aware that it may get worse before it gets better.

It is important to fully ignore the behavior and not give in.

When the child stops the negative behavior, the parent could complement the child on his/her improved behaviour.
Time-Out: When a child misbehaves the parent could tell the child to go to time out for one minute per year of the child’s age (for example, 5 minutes time out for a 5 year old).

The child should be directed to sit in a chair, which the parent has located in an area with minimal distractions.

The child should be given the reason for the time out and told how long the time out will last.
If the time out was as a result of the child not following the parent’s command, then after the time out, the child should complete the task.

If the child does not complete the task, then the child should return to time out.

If the child gets up from the chair before time then the child should be returned to the chair.

Do not give the child attention during the time out.
 Removing rewards/privileges: The reward or privilege removed should be logical based on the misbehavior and tied to the value of the misbehavior.

For example, if a nine year old was riding his bike and refused to come home when asked, he would lose his bike riding privileges for 1 day.

It is preferable to remove routine privileges and for rewards not to be taken away for too long, that the child simply forgets about them.