12 Phrases that Encourage Positive Behavior in Children
Often, parents feel overwhelmed with their children’s negative behaviors. In these situations, they may yell at, scold, or punish their children. This has been shown to damage their emotional development, which is why it’s better to use phrases that encourage positive behavior.
The theories of pedagogues and psychologists give alternatives that are much more effective than punishment and, thus, also avoid bad behavior from repeating itself.
There are phrases you can use to encourage positive behaviors in your children. If you don’t want to miss out on them, read on!
Phrases that encourage positive behavior
If you do (a specific task), you can (reward)
It’s been proven that reinforcing positive behaviors rather than punishing bad behaviors is much more effective. If you want your children to repeat an activity, you need to reinforce it. If you want to eliminate it, you must stop providing reinforcement, such as punishment.
The rewards don’t need to be material, but rather: playing with them, going to the park, going to the movies, taking a bike ride, or going out to a field, among others.
I know you can do better
It’s important to convey that you’re confident that your children can behave and do things right.
I’m very proud of you
Let your child know that you’re happy about their accomplishments and effort, even when things go wrong for them. This way, you encourage them to do better next time.
If you keep behaving like this, I won’t listen to you
Yelling at or talking to them to explain what they did wrong will only reinforce that misconduct. This is because you’re paying attention to them when they do something negative. Thus, it’s best for you to leave a room or tell them to leave a room so you don’t pay more attention to that negative behavior.
Always say the truth and never lie
Many children lie out of fear of being scolded or because they’re unable to distinguish fantasy from reality. Thus, you must reward them when they tell the truth. You have to praise the fact that they were brave.
If you calm down, we’ll find a solution
Sometimes, children cry because they desperately want to indulge in a whim and you don’t let them. It’s important to avoid yielding. You can help them calm down and look for an alternative.
More phrases that encourage positive behavior in children
Try again
If they didn’t do something right, instead of focusing on what they did wrong, you have to give them the opportunity to try again to fix their mistake.
I love you
Telling your children that you love them and constantly reminding them of this fact will help them have good self-esteem, behave better, and be more positive.
Do you remember that you had to…? Did you…?
Instead of scolding or shouting at them because they didn’t do a certain task, it’s best to do so in a positive way. You can remind them of what they had to do so they can do it.
You made a mistake, but you can learn from this
It’s much better for your children to realize that they made a mistake than saying “I told you so.” Just like adults, children also don’t learn unless they make their own mistakes.
I’ll be there to help you if you need me
This way, you’ll show your child that, if they need anything, you’ll be there for them. Reminding them of this fact will ensure that they’ll come to you if they feel lost.
I believe you and I know you’ll do it
This way, you instill in your child the confidence they need when they tell you that they’re going to do something. Also, it’ll motivate them to make every effort to achieve it.
I know you didn’t mean to do it, the last of the phrases that encourage positive behaviors
This way, you make sure your child doesn’t do it again, as you believed and put your trust in them.
Now that you discovered the phrases that encourage positive behaviors in your children, it’s your turn to implement them. It’s important to pay attention to your children when they do something good and reinforce them by telling them how much you love them and how proud you are of them. Use these phrases in your day-to-day life to see the positive results in your child’s behavior.
