Cupid's Pulse Article: Parenting Tips: Lifestyle Changes for Better BehaviorCupid's Pulse Article: Parenting Tips: Lifestyle Changes for Better Behavior

By Bonnie Griffin

We all love our children and would do anything for them, but that doesn’t mean getting them to behave in the best way is always an easy task. As a parent, you want the best for your child and part of this includes teaching them appropriate behaviors so they grow into productive and good people. Luckily, if your children have behavioral issues, we have some parenting tips to help you develop better your children’s behavior.

Here are parenting tips to help improve your child’s behavior.

Raising your children is a full-time gig, and the most important job you will ever have. Sometimes it seems like the hardest job in the world it’s because you love your children and are dedicated to them. Parenting is a 24/7 job which doesn’t end after the workday. Your children won’t always behave the way you want or expect. Cupid has parenting advice on lifestyle choices to help with nurturing your children so they behave better:

1. Routines: Children thrive on routines. Make sure you have a strictly set routine for important parts of the day like mornings, breakfast, school, after school, dinner, and bedtime. That doesn’t mean you have to dictate to your kids exactly what the routine has to be comprised of, it means you can work together to make a routine; allow them to give input and come up with a routine together.

Related Link: Parenting Advice: Tips to Leave in the Past

2. Daily one-on-one time: The one thing that will have the best effect on your children’s behavior is spending quality time with them individually. They have an emotional need to feel connected with you as their parent and need positive attention or they will seek out your attention other ways. This often means they will act out negatively because they see negative attention as better than no attention.

Related Link: Parenting Advice: Cooking Fun with Your Kids

3. Sleep is important: When you’re tired you feel sluggish and cranky. So do your children. Children and teenagers need more sleep to keep up with all the energy their growing bodies require.

4. Find opportunities to say yes: Children have lots of questions, they want to go everywhere and see everything which means saying no a lot. To counter the negative tone that can be set every time they hear the word no, find ways to say yes. Make a compromise and help them notice you are trying to help them find their way in life and with their friends. The more positive reactions they get from you the more positive their behavior will be in return.

5. Look for the source: When children misbehave it’s usually because some underlying issue is bothering them. Take a look at the big picture and try to address the real issue causing the poor behavior.

What are some ways you redirect misbehavior in your children? Let us know in the comments below.