Obedience is a humble virtue. The innate attitude of a person is to initially complain about the things he needs to accomplish because he might have found it unfair or difficult.

Getting your children to do what you are asking them to is indeed difficult especially if you don’t know how to reprimand them right to get things done. How to let a child obey is a test for the parent’s ability to instruct and let things be understood.

Here are 7 tips you can rely on to encourage children to adhere to what you say as parents:

1️⃣ Explain why something needs to be done. Do not just command things which the child does not understand.

2️⃣ Learn to say “NO”. Children tend to ask for extension or reduction of a job for relief or for a test of your firmness. As parents, you can instill authority by standing firm for what you have said. Deadlines are ceasing points which children need to value to avoid procrastination.

3️⃣ Use the reward-consequence system. It is but essential for children to know that if something is not done, an unfavourable result would happen and vice versa. The tendency for parents is to do the things by themselves instead which is not just an infraction to their own rules but also a clear revelation of inconsistency. You can always take away privileges for instances of defiance by the child.

4️⃣ Ask the child to clean his own mess. This is not just discipline but also a means to let him know there is actually a consequence.

5️⃣ Add extra chores for the things undone. For example, you can let the child fill up a paper of his written promise to finish what is asked of him.

6️⃣ Avoid threatening, shouting and intimidating the child. Instead, talk about how you feel discouraged and sad about his defiance. Let him understand by citing situations like what does he think would happen to the family if you also stop working and earning money for them?

7️⃣ Never give consequences that are not related to the misdeed and implement them at the right time. Correcting the child right then and there is more effective than accumulating the consequences.

Child Obedience should always come from the parents by setting a good example. Show your children how you can manage to accomplish whatever you have started and how you are responsible enough to face the consequences of your actions.

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