Child Behaviour Direct

Welcome to the Child Behaviour Direct Blog. This blog will help you to understand your child's behaviour better so that you can help your child to grow up happy, confident and successful and most importantly help you to be the parent that you want to be:) Please contact me if I can help you in anyway! You can reach me at my website, www.childbehaviourdirect.com or email me at childbehaviour@aol.com.

Tuesday 17 May 2011

FREE CHILD BEHAVIOUR COURSE


I am excited to give you full details of my FREE 1 day Parent’s Guide to Children’s Behaviour course held in Stafford, funded by the Millennium Awards Scheme.
The course is suitable for all parents with children 0-16 years from those who want to learn how to transform their children’s behaviour to those who would simply like to understand more about how they can help their children to grow up happy, confident and successful and reach their full potential.
The course is full of practical, easy, effective, proven, positive strategies that will bring out the best in any child, so please contact me as soon as possible to book your FREE place to avoid disappointment. Please note this is a onetime only free offer.
What is the course all about?
The course is in 4 parts, which is all provided for you in the course manual.  Once you have completed the 1 day course you will be ready to implement the strategies into your home life and you will receive priority email support from myself for 4 weeks so that I am always at hand should you want to contact me with your questions.

Part 1
Find out exactly why children behave the way that they do, this is fascinating and you are likely to be left thinking, why didn't someone ever mention this before?  You will gain insight into how you as a parent affect your child's behaviour so that you can focus on doing things that will give you the results that you want.

Part 2
You will consider how nurturing your child's spirit, helps them to feel more positive about themselves.  It also shows you why this is vital because your children will ultimately become what they feel about themselves.

Part 3
You will get down to the business of handling your child's unwanted behaviour.  You will learn about the different types of behaviour and the very best way to handle them. You will make a detailed plan of action using, positive assertive consequences that are appropriate for your child's age and stage of development and behaviour, so that you can be successful consistent and confident in your approach to your child's misbehaviour.

Part 4
You will look at how you can live as a family happily ever after.  You will look at the big picture of family life, which is essential because your general wellbeing directly affects the way that you behave which in turn affects your child's behaviour.

Free Bonuses;
- 4 weeks priority email support from me.
-The course manual
-Access to my Transform your child's behaviour video series
-Free audios on how to listen and talk to your child
-My special report on Bullying
Where;
The Holiday Inn Express
Off M6- Junction 13
Acton Court
Acton Gate
Stafford
ST189AP
When;
Saturday 21st May
9.30-4.00
Book your place now;
Please contact me to book your place as soon as possible;
Phone Ruth; 07929047110
Looking forward to seeing you there
Ruth

Wednesday 9 March 2011

9 Tips to stop children's aggressive behaviour




Children can start to become aggressive at a young age (terrible two’s perhaps) due to a number of factors.  They may be trying to become more independent but they don’t have the skills to do what they want, or they may be frustrated at not being able to communicate or understand their feelings.  They may also be pushing their boundaries and trying their luck to see how far mom and dad will let them go, or they may simply be trying to get attention or to manipulate a situation to get their own way.   Frustrations and anger can then come out in the form of hitting, biting, screaming or kicking or crying. 
So how do you stop aggression?
1.  Find out what sorts of things are making them angry for example, not liking to share their toys

2.   Teach them to handle their frustration, for example teach them how to share

3.    Help them to become more independent, such as showing them how to do things for themselves by breaking down the task into little chunks (like instructions in a recipe book)

4.    Nip problems in the bud, if you can see aggression and frustration building up, jump in and re-direct their attention and move them away from the problem

5.   Talk with your child and help them too know what is expected of them, for example tell them before hand that, when they are with their friends you want them to share their toys

6.   Set boundaries that they know are there, a child who knows how far they can go is more likely to accept the rules and keep within them

7.   Keep them busy and give them attention to keep them stimulated and happy

8.   Ignore tantrums and loud outburst if it is safe as they are less likely to do it, if they get no attention for it

9.   Help your child to understand their feelings, for example when they seem to be looking cross say to them, ‘you seem cross’, then they will start to understand what can be frightening emotions and they will eventually be able to tell you that they feel cross.
I am sure that if you use these tips you will reduce your child’s aggressive behaviour, If you would like more tips on how to improve your child’s behaviour, you can download my book, ‘A Parent’s Guide to Children’s Behaviour’, in minutes here…. http://bit.ly/PGCBBOOK
Best wishes

Ruth

Thursday 24 February 2011

Teach your child social skills in four easy steps.



I am sure every parent wants their children to have good social skills, but what are social skills, how do we go about teaching them and why should you bother?
Social skills that children really need to learn in order to get along better with everyone include;
·         Turn taking
·         Praising
·         Asking for help
·         Using quiet voices where appropriate
·         Saying kind things
·         Waiting their turn
·         Listening
·         Resolving conflicts
·         Working as a team
·         Sharing
·         Getting along with friends
·         Patience

Sometimes a child will behave badly because they don’t have the skills to cope with everyday social interactions and if they can’t share their toys or wait their turn, tantrums and arguments can occur.  If you think your child could do with improving their social skills here are 4 steps.
1 Choose and discuss the skill you want to improve, “I would like you to share your toys because it is a friendly thing to do”.

2. Give instructions or guidance, If you see your child starting to get angry about not wanting to share, you can get involved in the game by saying something like, “Diane would like to have a go in the car, please let her have 2 goes round the track while you go on the scooter, then you can have it back for 2 goes round the track”.

3. Practice makes perfect, Keep practicing as often as you can to promote sharing and model it in your behaviour. For example asking someone else if they would like a turn on the swing/bike/ see-saw etc……

4. Praise or consequence, if you see them sharing remember to praise them, if they will not, they need some kind of consequence.

Children who have good social skills are able to get along with other children theywill feel happier and be confident which will have a positive effect on their behaviour.
Please check out my new Parent’s Guide to Children’s Behaviour course dates http://bit.ly/CDBCOURSE
Ruth :)

Thursday 17 February 2011

One great tip to easily improve children's behaviour

I was just talking to a parent who is taking my course about ignoring their child’s tantrums and it reminded me of a 4 year old girl that attended the nursery where I worked.  When she arrived at nursery she would throw herself on the floor and scream and cry in the clock room in a very dramatic fashion in probably the worst way I had seen before. But it wasn’t just when she arrived at nursery that was the problem, as she would also throw herself on the floor at times when she did not want to do something such as tidy up or do activities she didn’t like. This behaviour had to stop so I decided that as well as ignoring the tantrum I would start to teach her exactly what I wanted from her, after all I really think she didn’t know how else to behave. 

So at the end of the day at nursery I sat down with her and gave her direct instructions for coming to nursery the next morning. I explained that I wanted her to come into nursery smiling and happy to see her friends, I said that when she gets to nursery, that she was to come and sit by me in the book corner (where I took the register) and sit in the chair that I will have waiting for her next to me. I told her that she would feel happier if she came to nursery ready to play with her friends and she shyly looked at me with her fingers in her mouth, smiled and nodded in approval.

I then told then her mum of my plans and we arranged that she would bring her daughter to sit by me in the book corner in the morning, instead of leaving her in the cloak room.

When the next day arrived I was ready and waiting as arranged and I took her hand from her mummy and showed her where to sit. I asked the little girl if she remembered what I had said about coming to nursery with a smile and she nodded in agreement managed a little smile and remarkably there was barely a sniffle from her.

I gave her lots of praise and encouragement and stickers and it was truly amazing how fast she settled into her new routine and within a few days she was walking up to her friends and chatting when she arrived.   She also responded really well when I directly asked her to be in charge of a certain job when it was tidy up time, which meant she was better behaved throughout the whole day as well.

So remember if your child is misbehaving use direct instructions and tell them exactly what you would like them to do and see the positive changes happen quickly.

For more tips download my book here
I was just talking to a parent who is taking my course about ignoring their child’s tantrums and it reminded me of a 4 year old girl that attended the nursery where I worked.  When she arrived at nursery she would throw herself on the floor and scream and cry in the clock room in a very dramatic fashion in probably the worst way I had seen before. But it wasn’t just when she arrived at nursery that was the problem, as she would also throw herself on the floor at times when she did not want to do something such as tidy up or do activities she didn’t like. This behaviour had to stop so I decided that as well as ignoring the tantrum I would start to teach her exactly what I wanted from her, after all I really think she didn’t know how else to behave. 

So at the end of the day at nursery I sat down with her and gave her direct instructions for coming to nursery the next morning. I explained that I wanted her to come into nursery smiling and happy to see her friends, I said that when she gets to nursery, that she was to come and sit by me in the book corner (where I took the register) and sit in the chair that I will have waiting for her next to me. I told her that she would feel happier if she came to nursery ready to play with her friends and she shyly looked at me with her fingers in her mouth, smiled and nodded in approval.

I then told then her mum of my plans and we arranged that she would bring her daughter to sit by me in the book corner in the morning, instead of leaving her in the cloak room.

When the next day arrived I was ready and waiting as arranged and I took her hand from her mummy and showed her where to sit. I asked the little girl if she remembered what I had said about coming to nursery with a smile and she nodded in agreement managed a little smile and remarkably there was barely a sniffle from her.

I gave her lots of praise and encouragement and stickers and it was truly amazing how fast she settled into her new routine and within a few days she was walking up to her friends and chatting when she arrived.   She also responded really well when I directly asked her to be in charge of a certain job when it was tidy up time, which meant she was better behaved throughout the whole day as well.

So remember if your child is misbehaving use direct instructions and tell them exactly what you would like them to do and see the positive changes happen quickly.

For more tips download my book, A Parent's Guide to Children's Behaviour here using paypal  http://bit.ly/hde2ig 

Best wishes
Ruth
If you use these ideas, please come back and let us know how you get on:)

Thursday 10 February 2011

School Morning Routines




I have been working with a parent this week who was finding getting out for school in the morning increasingly stressful with her three young children.  If you are having the same problem you may want to consider changing your morning routine as she has. This routine is suitable for children up to around 10 or 11 as they get older they need to be responsible more for themselves and can use alarm clocks and have a less structured routine.

I know when my son was young I had to make sure I had plenty of time in the mornings as he would get very stressed if he was rushed, woken up late or did not have some time to watch the TV or play before school.  To get some more time for everyone in the morning I decided to wake everyone half an hour earlier,  it worked so well you might like to try it....
Consider this routine although if you want to cross over the breakfast with getting dressed you can and adapt it to your time scales.  Make each day the same so that you all settle into a regular routine and it becomes second nature.
6.45
Time for you to get up
Or even earlier if you need or want to as the more time you have before they get up the easier it is for everyone if you are ready for action when they get up.
7.05
Children’s Wake Up Call
Go into their bedroom and say good morning it’s time to wake up and remind them they have to be up by 7.15 or in 10 minutes.  (My son always needed some wake up time in bed and if I just went back once or twice to say time to get up he would come round in his own time,)  You can take them a morning drink and leave it on the bedside table for them to encourage them to wake up)
7.15 
Time to get up
Go into their bedroom, open curtains or switch the light on and say morning time to get up now. If you get a lot of moaning just give some empathy, for example, yes its hard getting up when you want to sleep, or acknowledge that you know how they feel.
7.15-7.45
Free time
You can use this time to come round and wake up, it is nice to meet up in the living room and have a drink together and spend 10 minutes with them watching the TV or playing and talking. You can then get on with making the breakfast.
7.45
Get dressed and washed and brush their hair
If this is likely to take longer, then you can start at 7.40, it would be helpful if you were ready to supervise this and had all your attention on helping them, depending on their age and ability.
8.00
Breakfast, everyone come to the table to eat.
8.10
Clean teeth collect things ready for the day
8.20
Time to leave
Can you see how there is plenty of time to get ready for the morning and by adding some play/TV time you have some extra time if they are running late as happens from time to time.  Be a little flexible about the times a few minutes either way is not going to hurt as long as you are out of the door on time.
Don't forget to work as a team,  for example delegate sandwich making to your hubby or partner.
The night before is the time to do homework and get clothes and kit ready for school clean shoes and find all the socks and ties that can make you run late in the morning.
Remember to praise, praise, praise each time they do as they are asked and use rewards like sticker charts to encourage more good behaviour.
You must let everyone know about your new morning routine before you start, make it into a positive thing and write out the routine and post it on the fridge door or somewhere everyone can see.
If you like this info and would like more why not join me on the Parent's Guide to Children's Behaviour online or group courses. New dates are out now to hurry to secure your place http://bit.ly/CDBCOURSE 
Let me know what you think and how you get on.
All the best
Ruth

Saturday 5 February 2011

What sort of parent are you?




See what sort of parent you are AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW by answering the following questions in these 3 parts.

Part one

Do you have set rules that you follow with a degree of flexibility?

Do you spend time with your child on a regular basis?

Are you a good role model for your child?

Do you use consequences for unwanted behaviour?

Do you encourage your child to be independent?

Are you mindful to try to make your child feel good about their self?

Do you spend time with your child on a regular basis?

Do you encourage your child to try different things?

Do you feel positive about your child‟s behaviour and trust them to behave well in public?

Do you try to raise your child‟s self esteem?

Do you give praise when your child does something good?


Part 2

Are you overbearing to your child and try to be right all the time?

Do you shout at your child to get them to do what you want?

Do you belittle your child to try to get them to do what you want?

Do you shame or humiliate your child into submission?

Do you use physical punishments such a smacking to control your child‟s behaviour?

Do you get angry with your children?

Are you very critical of your child?

Do you seldom or never praise your child even when they behave well?

Do you find it hard to show affection?

Do you have strict routines and never compromise them?


Part 3

Do you give in to your child‟s demands just because you don‟t want to fight and lose again?

Do you ask your child to do something and not follow it up to make sure that they do it?

Do you say you will do something with your child and not keep your word?

Do you give your child age appropriate chores to do in the home?

Do you sit back and let the other parent try to handle your child‟s behaviour?

Do you use consequences for misbehaviour infrequently or never?

Does your child rule the roost?

Are you over indulgent with your child?

Do you give your child what they want even when they have been misbehaving?


Results;

Mostly part one;

You are a Positive Parent

Positive parents who have well behaved children expect their children to behave well,
Positive parents are sure that they can handle their children‟s behaviour and they have an air of confidence with their children, they are reliable, trustworthy and dependable and their children know where they stand with them. They keep their children safe and secure and nurture their spirit. They are good role models and inspire their children to learn about themselves and the world in which they live.


Mostly part two;

You are a Strict parent

Strict or authoritarian parents use punishments to try to deter misconduct, but this merely makes the child more cautious in committing his crime, more skilful in concealing his traces and more determined to escape detection. When a child is punished he will simply decide to be more careful not to get caught, and not to be more honest and responsible as we would hope. Strict parents use fear based, demeaning punishments such as smacking, which have no learning value in them and they make everyone feel bad.
 
Mostly part three;


You are a leinient parent.Lenient parents like most of us want a peaceful life and in order to try and get it they let their children, for the most part, do what ever they want in hope that they will grow out of the unwanted behaviour "soon". They are likely to have little structure to the day and have low standards for their children. They may tolerate childish behaviours or be overindulgent, giving the children too many things and attention regardless of their misbehaviour.

Find out why it is essential to be a positive parent if you want your child to behave well AND EXACTLY HOW TO DO IT in the 'A Parent's Guide to Children's Behaviour', Ebook, FIND OUT MORE http://bit.ly/PGCBBOOK

Best wishes

Ruth
Do you make rules and not keep them?