Matthew is at the stage where there needs to have some discipline strategy already. He can reason out now and would oftentimes disobey us. It also is hard for us to be consistent with him. Actually, to be honest, Im finding it hard to raise this type of age group than toddlers. They have their own minds already and can speak up. Di mo na sila mabobola.

Here’s a tip I got from Baby Center:
The tools: Grade-schoolers
Tool: Teach consequences
Age: 5 to 8 years
How it works: We want our children to make the right choices — finish their homework before they turn on the TV, for example, or not play ball in the house. But when they don’t, what do we do?

To handle problem behaviors, involve your child in finding a solution, says Harvard professor Dan Kindlon. For example, if he doesn’t finish the night’s homework, he may decide to wake up earlier the next morning to do it. Because this isn’t a great long-term solution, make a plan for the future together: Does he want to do his homework before going out to play, or does he want to set aside time in the evening?

If he’s been part of the planning process, it’ll be a lot harder for your child to pretend he just “forgot.” But be consistent in enforcing limits — if the plan is to finish homework after dinner, it must be finished before the TV goes on.

Real-life application: Your 7-year-old breaks a lamp throwing a ball in the house. Instead of scolding him by saying that he wasn’t supposed to be doing this in the first place, tell him it’s up to him to fix his mistake. Have him glue the lamp back together if he can — if not, he can do extra chores to earn enough for a new lamp.

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