1. Although it is not necessary, it is helpful for parents to tackle one negative behavior at a time. For example, a parent may want to first concentrate on helping a child hang his jacket up when he comes home from school. Then the parent can concentrate on teaching the child to brush his teeth.

2. All adults can handle different amounts of stress when confronted with change. Children are the same way. The more children receive appropriate food and rest, the better they are equipped to make appropriate decisions when confronted with the need to change their behavior.   

3. When in public, your child will respond to you differently. This is due to you responding to your child differently. Take a careful self-inventory of yourself when out in public. You may discover that your heightened consciousness about your child’s behavior changes the way that you are assisting your child to behave.

4. Beware of boredom. An older child can find ways to entertain themselves. Little children tend to require prompts. Your child may be acting out because they do not know how to handle boredom and need to be taught.

5. When teaching your child a rule, it is helpful to do it in a fun way. It is very important that reasons for the rule are given on a non-abstract level that a child can understand. I always hear, “My child is smart. He can understand on my level.” However smart your child is, you are smarter. If your child has the ability to understand on your level, you have the ability to communicate on his.  Be the grownup, talk on his level.

6. It is helpful to give your child time to make a decision after a directive is given. This is why counting to 3 or 5 as part of the directive can be good.

7. Children benefit from schedules. The more impulsive the child, the more strict the schedule should be.

8. Raising a child requires as much growth in the parent as it will in the child. So, relax, take it easy, laugh a bit; this will take time. The parent’s maturity will grow along with the child.