“Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, and you’ll feed him for the rest of his life.” This principle can be applied to various aspects of life, including how we deal with our children. Telling our sons and daughters not to do that bad behavior might encourage them to stop doing it on a temporary basis, but it’s unlikely to have a long-term impact on their lives. The smarter, longer-lasting approach is to replace the negative behaviors with positive actions: it’ll be this approach that ultimately gives the child a solid framework within which to develop socially and academically.
Of course, there’s no such thing as a perfect child, and it’s not as if you can stop everything. But what will require attention is when a child is exhibiting repeated behavioral issues that cause harm or damage to people and things around them. The reasons for behaviors such as excessive crying, hurting other children, and failure to follow directions are many-fold, but usually stem from a difficulty or misunderstanding of the rules and social norms.
To help combat these issues, parents, teachers, and other adults in influential roles can do things such as identify the triggers that prompt behavioral problems, and reinforce positive actions as and when they arise. If a considered, committed approach is taken, then it’ll be possible to move beyond these issues. To learn more about this topic, take a look at the infographic from Regis College below.
Infographic Design by Regis College Regis College