As parents, you are the first point of contact for your children. You play an important role in shaping the experiences of your children, charting their personality paths and influencing their attitudes towards learning.

If you would like your children to behave in a certain manner, demonstrate in detail how you would like them to behave. Let them practise the behavior and give them encouragement along with constructive criticism. 

• Try to set aside time on a regular basis to do something fun with your children.
  
  
• Instead of telling them what not to do, teach and show them what they should do.
  
  
• Use descriptive praises when they do something well. Say, “I like how you ____ when you ____.” Be specific.
  
  
• Help your child learn to express how he feels. Say: “You seem frustrated.” “How are you feeling?” “Are you upset?” “You look like you are angry about that.” “It’s O.K. to feel that way.”
  
  
• Try to see a situation the way your children do. Listen carefully to them. Try to form a mental picture of how it would look to them.
  
  
• Use a soft, yet confident tone of voice to redirect them when they are upset.
  
  
• Be a good listener: Use good eye contact. Get down physically (e.g. by squatting) to match the level of smaller children. Don’t interrupt. Ask open-ended questions rather than questions that can be answered with a yes or no. Repeat back to them what you have heard.
  
  
• Make sure they understand directions. Have them repeat them.
  
  
• When possible give them choices of when and how to comply with a request.
  
  
• Look for gradual changes in behavior. Don’t expect too much. Praise behavior that is coming closer to the desired goal.
  
  
• Develop a nonverbal sign (gesture) that your children will accept as a signal that they are being inappropriate and need to change their behavior. This helps them to respond to your prompt without getting upset.