The document provides 5 tips for supporting good behavior in children during outings in public places:
1. Discuss expectations with children before leaving and praise good behavior with positive feedback.
2. Understand that children's brains are not fully developed to control impulses in stimulating public settings.
3. Come prepared with snacks and activities to engage children and minimize time in crowded areas.
4. Establish a reward system like giving raffle tickets for good behavior to encourage positive behavior throughout the outing.
5. Be consistent with rules and enforcing consequences so children learn appropriate behavior is expected anywhere.
2. A good place to start is at home. Dwelling on poor behavior discourages
everyone involved, so positive feedback several times a day is more
effective all around! This approach shows that you’re on the same team,
and working together has better results, setting the stage to better carry
out some recommended steps in guiding your child’s behavior while out
in public.
Consider the following elements:
3. 1. Pre-game
Before heading to that
restaurant or store, take a
minute to discuss good choices
and bad choices. Be specific
and relay with confidence that
you expect your kids, for
example, to stay next to your
cart and to use “inside voices.”
Teach them and prep them
every time, and if you’re lucky,
that’s all the help they’ll need.
4. 2.Understand
what’sgoingon
The part of the brain that
helps control impulses and
manage emotion is not fully
developed in children.
So, when they enter Target
and are bombarded with
lights and loud noises, of
course they have more
trouble managing their
behavior than at home.
Understanding this gives
you more patience and
more realistic expectations
for your children, and the
more patient you are, the
better able you are to
handle their behaviors.
5. 3. Preparation
is everything
You can decrease a
child’s social anxiety in
public settings by being
completely prepared.
Be sure to bring snacks
and juice boxes, offer
opportunities to
explore a bit when in an
unfamiliar setting, and
minimize the amount of
time the child must
spend in a crowded or
confined area. Also,
bring a favorite toy for
a means of familiarity
and comfort.
6. 4. Game plan
execution
Don’t be caught off guard and let a
“quick trip” to the grocery store ruin
your day. Establish a routine system
for rewarding behavior in public.
A good example is taking raffle tickets
along on your excursion. Children
earn a ticket each time you observe
good behavior.
If rewarded liberally, children love it
and they spend the whole trip working
to be good, and you escape without a
crisis. There are lots of variations on
this system that will work; the point is
that you’re using positive
reinforcement again, rather than
spending the entire trip nagging them
for bad behavior.
7. Kids learn ways to get what
they want, and some learn that
their parents get immobilized
in public when they act up,
which usually results in having
a big fit until parents give in, in
order to prevent utter public
humiliation. Unfortunately,
when that happens, the child is
rewarded for having a fit in
public, and it is more likely to
happen again. Kids need to
know the rules, and that they
apply anywhere, so don’t be
afraid to enforce consequences,
even while in public.
5.Alwaysremember
who’sboss
8. A little preparation, a lot
of positive reinforcement,
and a solid plan can and
will make a huge
difference in encouraging
your child’s good behavior
in public. This will lead to
outings becoming more of
the norm, and less anxiety-
inducing for the child, and
you as well. There’s a good
chance you’ll never have to
be that parent receiving a
glare from the restaurant
guest at the neighboring
table after all.