DO NO HARM

Signposts: Building better Behaviour in Children Part 2: Giving children effective instructions

Some ideas to increase the likelihood that your child will do as asked.

Plan your instructions

1. How important is the instruction?

Is the action something the child really must do, or can your child choose whether to do it? If it is not desirable that your child has a choice, then you have to give a direct instructioni.

Signposts: Building better Behaviour in Children Part 1

I'm currently undergoing some training to be a qualified facilitator of the Signposts programme, which is a programme that originated from Victoria, Australia, designed to provide support to parents to build better behaviours in their children. From the little I know about the programme, Signposts focuses on behavioural interventions to increase positive behaviours and decrease negative ones, preferring positive reinforcement methods such as using rewards and praise. At the same time consequences are utilised as negative reinforcement to reduce incidences of negative behaviour. Being strengths oriented, parents are encouraged to identify strengths in their children, and work more towards increasing positive behaviours in their children as opposed to relying too much on negative reinforcements to reduce certain behaviours.