Children Need To Feel That They Belong by Tulum Dothee

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Children Need To Feel That They Belong
by Tulum Dothee

Everybody wants to be heard and feel special!

In Positive Discipline, Jane Nelson helps us understand that misbehaving children are discouraged children who have mistaken ideas on how to achieve their Primary Goal: TO BELONG. Mistaken ideas lead to misbehavior. Address the mistaken belief rather than just the misbehavior.

Jane goes on to tell us to use encouragement to help children feel a sense of belonging so that the motivation for misbehavior will be eliminated. Focus on improvement rather than on mistakes.

A great way to help children feel encouraged is to spend special time being with them, doing something you can enjoy together. With younger children (0-4) this could be 15 minutes a day. With older children, it could be an hour once a week. Alternate who chooses the activity. Schedule the time on a calendar, so your children can look forward to it.

Start a bedtime ritual of sharing the

Author's Biography:

Posted on: October 16,2007

Email: tulum@mindfulparentingtips.com
Website: http://www.mindfulparentingtips.com