How to Avoid Spanking
I swore that when I had my child I would not spank him no matter how fresh he was. Truth be told, this feat is easier said than done. Especially once he hit two and three years old. My goodness!!! He would adamantly throw the most insane fits in the most awkward places, and hit me in the face when he wasn’t getting his “no” point across. SIGH! What is a parent to do? Listed below are a few tips that may help you avoid spanking your child. This is not say that sometimes a child could really use one… but if you are like me and want to at least try other ways to correct their behavior, read on:
1 - Calm Down
The first thing you can do is somehow remove yourself from the situation. If you and your child are home, for example, make sure they are safe in one room while you go and “cool off” in another, Sometimes removing yourself from the immediate problem can help you calm down and take some much needed deep breaths. Relaxing a bit deters us from our immediate instinct to smack, spank, slap, etc. them.
2 - Me Time!
Sure calming down sounds like a good plan right? But sometimes it’s just not possible. It’s like you are constantly almost at your boiling point. The only way to be able to make way for a longer fuse so to speak, is to try and make time for yourself. Research shows that parents who take time throughout their day to be alone and read, clean, anything…. are less likely to hit their children.
3 - Treat Them Like An Adult (sort of)
As parents, we sometimes don’t give children the credit they deserve. It can be frustrating for us to think that your children just don’t understand exactly what it is you want from them which makes good behavior an impossibility. Not true! Try getting down to your child’s eye level and explain to them exactly what it is you want from them. For example, “Mommy wants you to play nicely with your sister” or ” I would really like it if you were play quietly until Mommy gets off the phone.”
4 - Explain Consequences
There was a time when I didn’t even think my child comprehended the word “no” but the truth is, these kids know more than we think. One day I started to explain to my son what will happen next if he continued his bad behavior. For example, if you keep throwing the groceries out of the cart while I’m shopping we will have to leave the store. If we leave the store that means we ca’t go through the snack aisle as promised. That means later tonight, you won’t have your favorite snack.” This actually worked. Mind you if you’re child is already in full temper tantrum mode, this particular tip wont work at this point.
