One of the toughest things for a parent is to stay calm when their children engage in problem behaviors. Children can be sarcastic, rebellious, defiant, loud, etc. Parents have to prepare themselves for these moments and learn to keep their cool to help defuse the situation.
We're not saying that you won't get angry or even that you shouldn't. That's impossible! But "blowing your top" can make many situations worse. Think about what adults tend to do when they're angry-yelling, swearing, and hitting are all common responses. But what do they teach our children?
It can be helpful for parents to develop a Staying Calm Plan as a first step to Corrective Teaching.
Developing your plan
A Staying Calm Plan is exactly what it sounds like-a strategy to help you control your anger or other emotional outbursts. Sometimes this can be as simple as taking a deep breath and counting to five. In other cases, you may need some extra time to get yourself under control. The trick is understanding your limits and knowing how your children can "push your buttons."
But learning to control your negative reactions will take some time. Don't get discouraged if you lose your temper every now and then. We all do.
