Raising a child is not an easy task. When you become parents, you realize that you can’t always be lenient with your child. Disciplining a child is extremely important if you want your little one to grow up to a good human being.

Positive discipline is very important for a child as it can make him aware of the boundaries that he is not supposed to cross.

It can also teach him how to control his emotions.

So, I’ve gathered some of the best positive discipline strategies for you to implement:

1. No Bad Kids, Only Bad Behavior

If your child misbehaves by hitting another child, rather than calling him ‘naughty boy or bad boy’, tell him his action was bad. You can politely say, “You should not hit others, and apologize for your actions.”

2. Show Him How to Behave

If you notice that your child is about to do something wrong, rather than simply saying, “Don’t do that!”, tell him what he should do instead. Teach your kid how to behave properly by showing him the right way to behave.

3. Be Firm but Empathetic

Showing empathy is a great way to make your child see that you understand how he feels, but he still needs to behave the right way. For example, if your child says, ‘He started it first! He won’t share the ball.’ You can respond with, ‘I understand that you really want to play with the ball and that he won’t give it to you, but hitting the other boy is not the correct way to get it.” Yes, your little one will not be convinced but you will have to repeat yourself many times if you want to change his behavior to good.

4. Introduce Time-Outs

Time-outs are more like a cooling-off period for your child where he can introspect his behavior. However, as a parent, you need to remind him that time-out is not a punishment. The best way to go about this is to set up a chair at a secluded place where your child can sit for a while and think about his activities and behavior.

5. Offer Choices

This will give your child a feeling of control and won’t make him feel like you are always telling him what to do. If your child has hit someone else, you can offer two choices. For example, “Do you want to apologize for hitting or would you like to go into time-out until you calm down?”

6. Turn Mistakes into Lessons

If your child snatches a toy from someone else, you can also use past experiences to help him understand why he should not do it. For example, you can say, “Do you remember when your friend snatched the toy you were playing with? It made you feel very bad, didn’t it?” Using this approach will help your child understand the emotions of his playmates and he will grow into a kind and compassionate person.

7. Set Boundaries and Expectations

If your child loves to play, that is great, but you need to set firm rules about playtime. For example, your child can play after finishing his homework.

8. Don’t Order

Rather than ordering or telling your child what to do, you can learn to adopt new ways of getting him to do what you want. For example, if your child has left his clothes on the bed without folding them, you can always ask “Where are we supposed to put our clothes?” instead of “Put your clothes in the wardrobe!”

9. Consequences

Your child is refusing to listen to you and is still misbehaving; you can make him face the consequences of his bad behavior. For example, if your child likes to watch a certain show, taking away that privilege on the day of misbehavior can prove effective.

10. Reward Good Behavior

Good behavior should always be rewarded as it can encourage your child to keep behaving in that manner. Rewarding your child should not be confused with bribing your child.