Consistent Parenting

One of the greatest challenges of parenting is addressing and correcting a child’s inappropriate behaviour. While parents can have different styles of parenting, children need parents to respond to a child’s behaviour in a consistent manner.  It can be difficult to be consistent and very difficulty to always be consistent. Some topics parents argue about include their children’s nutrition, sleep habits, appearance and safety to name just a few. When parents are consistent and informative, their children are more likely to behave well. Here are some steps parents and caregivers, can take to strive towards consistent parenting:
•    Make a list of your child’s behaviours that you want to stop. Start with the strongest area of concern. 
•    List consequences for each behaviour (e.g., removal of privileges for inappropriate behaviour, and/or giving privileges for appropriate behaviours)
•    The consequences should be clearly understood, proportional to the behaviour, and consistently applied. 
•    Choose consequences for each behaviour that you and your partner can agree on and are able to follow through on. 
•    Set up a family meeting and discuss your new parenting strategies 
•   Allow the child to participate in making the final list or "behaviour contract"
•    Once you have decided on the consequence for each action, provide the child with a copy of this list  
•    Both parents need to impose the consequence agreed upon each time a child commits the behaviour being targeted
•    Do not threaten. Anytime the rule is broken, either parent needs to impose the consequence
•    Do not say “if you do that again…” or “am I going to have to ….”   
•    Remember, children LOVE and thrive on consistency 
•    Finally provide appropriate praise or acknowledgement when your child demonstrates appropriate behaviour that you want the to continue. 

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