Good behavior isn’t magic—you can’t just wave a wand and turn your child into who you want him to be. Rather, good behavior is a skill that can be learned, just like carpentry, teaching or nursing.

All children need the security of knowing the rules and boundaries of behavior; without them they feel at a loss. Children may throw tantrums, test the rules, start fights, refuse to cooperate with family routines, use bad language—the list goes on. As parents/ caregivers teach children appropriate behavior, what the expected rules and boundaries are all about, it's important to remember the goals of discipline. Discipline means helping a child develop self control and a sense of limits, experience the consequences of his behavior, and learn from his mistakes. Discipline does not mean punishment or conflict between parent and child.

Use this activity to reinforce good manners, the rules and using better words, among others!

Steps:

1.  Write different statements like "Dumping out a basket”, "Hitting someone" etc. on different slips of paper

2. Have each child draw a slip of paper and then as a group, decide “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” to different statements, like, "Dumping out a basket”

Note: Most importantly, children emulate parents, caregivers and teachers. So, if you practice what you preach, children are bound to follow!