The waiting time, can it be done in a public place?
Waiting time can be a good strategy to calm your child’s tantrums in a public place.
Many parents are embarrassed when disciplining their children in a public place, but there is really no reason to be ashamed . Shame should be felt if children were not disciplined and allowed to do anything. You are likely to gain more respect from other people when they witness you embroil your child’s misbehavior with consequences and in an exemplary way.
From a young age, they quickly discover how you will respond when they misbehave in public. Some parents are more likely to give in to kids at a store than at home just to avoid embarrassment and to have the misbehavior stopped sooner. However, doing this will only make behavior problems worse.
If your child thinks you don’t want to be embarrassed at the store, he will misbehave to get his way. You will have to plan ahead and prepare to discipline your child with the time out no matter where you are so that you can help your child learn that their behaviors are not acceptable and that you are not going to give in to their pretensions.
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TALK BEFORE LEAVING HOME WITH YOUR CHILD
Before leaving home, talk to your child about the rules in advance. Even if you have already discussed it, it is best to review the rules as a reminder for your child. Children need explanations about how the rules differ in various public settings.
For example, a child won’t understand that they can scream on the playground, but they need to whisper in the library unless you tell them to. If you expect your child to stay by your side in the market, you will have to explain it.
LOOK FOR POSSIBLE WAITING AREAS
Try to get ahead of the situation and find a time-out era in case you need it. It could be a bench in front of the store, the doctor’s waiting room, or a separate table in your local library. It depends on where you go, think of a place for the time out that can go well for the mental rest .
You will have to supervise your child at all times and pay attention to him during the waiting time. If you can’t find any space, you can always use the car and sit in the front wall while your child is sitting in the back thinking. Always positively and actively ignore during the waiting time.
You can explain to your child in advance where the waiting time area will be. This can show your child that you really want to give him some time out in public, if necessary.
GIVE HIM A WARNING
There will be some behaviors that will have automatic time-out such as physical aggression, but other behaviors may require a warning first. For example, if you are in a store and your child wants to take things from a shelf, you can warn for example by counting to three to warn that he will have a waiting time if you reach three.
If their behavior continues after your warning, please adhere to the timeout. Don’t make empty threats or repeat the warning over and over again. Otherwise, your child will learn that you are not serious and will do what they want and get worse.
PREVENT BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS WHENEVER POSSIBLE
Taking a productive approach to avoiding behavior problems whenever possible is preferable. Plan ahead and identify strategies that can reduce the chances of your child misbehaving. If you go to a place where it may be boring for your child, you will have to give him something to do. You can give him things to entertain himself or tasks to do. You can also plan outings with your child’s needs and interests in mind.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.