Juicy Juice | I want to encourage good behavior in my 4 ½ year old son, but I feel like all I say is “don’t do that!” “Stop doing that!” No! No! No! I think he’s tuning me out. Any ideas?

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I want to encourage good behavior in my 4 ½ year old son, but I feel like all I say is "don't do that!" "Stop doing that!" No! No! No! I think he's tuning me out. Any ideas?

- Heather, Albuquerque, NM

Debbie Drown, Educator, Principal, says:

It is always a good idea to encourage good behavior rather than focus on inappropriate behavior. When your son exhibits appropriate behavior, no matter how small, recognize it verbally. For example "Thanks for asking for your milk so nicely". Do this all the time so that he sees the value in behaving appropriately. You do, however, need to address inappropriate behaviors with some kind of consequence. Instead of saying "don't do that" or "no, no, no" explain why the behavior is unacceptable, explain what the consequence will be the next time, and then follow through with the consequence if the behavior occurs again.

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