All children need to have limits set on their behavior. Here are some tips for setting good rules about the behavior that you're trying to change. • First, express each misbehavior as a clear rule; examples are "Don't push your brother" and "Don't interrupt me on the phone." • Second, also state the desired or acceptable behavior; examples are "Play with your brother" and "Look at books when I'm on the phone." Praise your child at these times. • Third, ignore unimportant misbehavior; if you have too many rules, your child won't listen, so ignore behavior such as swinging the legs or poor table manners during the early years. • Fourth, use rules that are fair and attainable. Your child should not be punished for behavior that's part of normal emotional development, such as thumbsucking and toilet training accidents. • Fifth, concentrate on two or three rules initially. Give your highest priority to safety issues, such as not running into the street or hurting others. Of next importance is behavior that damages property, and then come all those annoying behaviors that wear you down. • Finally, it's best if parents agree on these rules in advance.
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