Right way to discipline your preschoolers

To understand the child's psychology first, know that children between ages three and five should be asserting their independence and testing boundaries. While this doesn't make emotional outbursts or defiant episodes any easier to manage, remind yourself that this challenging behavior is right on track, developmentally. Here are few ways you can use to discipline your preschoolers.

Ignore, ignore, ignore

From your kid's perspective, any action that gets attention be it positive or negative is worth repeating, so capitulating or scolding may result in an encore performance. Instead, pretend the bad behavior isn't bothering you. Stand next to her and wait for her to have it out, or if you're in a store, continue shopping nearby so you know your child is safe. This shows the child that you won't react to tantrums.

Don't worry about perception

While onlookers or family members might wonder why you're not punishing your child firmly and immediately, ignoring the antics and moving on is actually the expert-approved method of managing behavior at this age. Parents worry about what other parents think when their child is acting out, but when a mom or dad ignores a freak-out, you're doing the best thing for your child at that moment.

The right way to give a time out

A 2016 study by Andrew Riley, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital in Portland, reported that more than 30 percent of the parents surveyed found time outs to be mostly ineffective. Riley's team discovered that there is significant variation in how a time out is implemented, including sending your kid to his room or a designated 'naughty spot'. Time out periods should be boring, while many parents want to provide a real-time explanation for the punishment, the best thing you can do is stop talking and wait to discuss the situation after the time out.

Taking away privileges

Consequences such as taking away screen time or telling your four-year-old he can't have dessert if he doesn't eat dinner will work better for older kids who can truly understand the notion of losing something they want.

Label positive behavior

Shower your kids with praise when they act appropriately, but be sure to name the good behavior specifically. If you're too general with your commendations, small children may not understand what they've done well.

Naming the praise is more likely to lead to repetition of that specific positive conduct. You might feel silly saying, "I love it when you color on the paper and not all over yourself," but it works.