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children is a brief "time out." This will be a time without toys or entertainment in a quiet location. It should be no longer than fifteen minutes.

When the punishment is over, it's over. Give him a hug, let him know you still love him. You don't need to go on at great length about what he just did. He knows. He was just punished for it.

When a child is older, punishment could be taking away privileges such as television time or an allowance. You can give them an assignment such as writing about the event. Again, when the punishment is done, the event is over. Let him know you love and forgive him.

Try not to berate your child in front of others. As a child grows he is developing a sense of self that he'll carry with him into adulthood. Would you want to be humiliated by your boss in a room full of fellow employees? Of course not! Neither does your child want to be humiliated in front of his friends.

When your child grows past toddler age, you'll begin being able to have true conversations with him. Make sure no matter how busy you are to take time just to talk to him about your days. If you want to mention a little slip-up you made at work, that is not going to ruin his opinion of you, it's going to let him know you are willing to share. If you can admit to being human, he will be more comfortable coming to you with his own mistakes. Parents are huge, powerful figures in their children's lives. You are in charge but you are not perfect. Tell him things that happened in your own childhood so that he can see some of the world through your eyes. Then he will feel free to talk to you about what happens during his days at school.

Remember that if your child only hears from you when you're angry, he will never want to come to you. You want to create an atmosphere in which your child knows there will be consequences for certain behaviors, but he will never lose your love.

Learn more about this author, Susan H.
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