Reprimanding your child in front of other people is not easy. You already have a hard time doing it at home, let alone when others are watching. You worry that there are parents around who have different ideas regarding parenting.
The problem is that during a trip, kids will most likely cause a headache. They will run around like they are still at home. They will not listen to you because they feel excited about their new environment. It does not mean though that you should allow your child to behave that way. You are still the parent, and your lack of action could send the wrong message. Your child might think that everything is okay. These are some tips to help you reprimand your child for misbehaving in public.
Set rules before leaving home:
Your child will minimize undesirable behavior outside if you set standards before leaving home. You need to be clear about your expectations as you commence the trip. Your child will remember these rules once you are outside, or at least you can quickly remind them when misbehavior begins.
Sit and come close to your child:
When your child starts to have tantrums in public buses or trains, you need to act immediately since they are disturbing other people. Sit close to your child and talk to them. You may also hug your child and be empathetic. There might be some problems your child is unable to express, and tantrums are the best option. If you shout, it could only make things worse.
Never hit your child:
Hitting your child is not an acceptable form of parenting- not in public, nor at home. Some parents believe that the action could prevent harmful behavior from happening again. It might be accurate, but the motivation is fear and not the belief that the response was wrong. Regardless of the nature of your child’s behavior, you need to control your hands.
Offer choices:
Sometimes, children cry and misbehave because they do not get what they want. You can tell them the other options available. Do not leave your child without any other choice but to cry. You can be creative in offering solutions to the problem so that you can prevent loud crying.
Do not think that others are watching:
One of the reasons why you end up having the wrong reaction is that your mind what others are thinking. You worry that the people around will judge you. Remember that regardless of your manner of disciplining your child, there will be judgments. You cannot allow them to influence you. As long as you are not hurting your child, you do not need to worry.
If you are planning to find large country houses to rent for weekends and you are bringing your child, you need to set rules before going there since it is not your house. You need to enforce the same rules, or else your child could get rowdy and cause damage to the place. Stay compassionate when parenting wherever you go.
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