Wellness,

7 Actionable Tips to Help Your Kids Master the Art of Self Discipline

Mar 7, 2022 | Wellness | 0 Comments | 126

Self-discipline is truly one of those areas that parents want to excel at. As adults, having discipline in our daily routine is a great thing to have as it helps make our day less cluttered and more organised, helps with our work-life balance, and gives us enough time to understand what is important and what’s not. For our kids, self-discipline is more important because they are at an age where they are also figuring out how to separate their studies from their personal life. It is important for our kids to know, that in the digital age, separating work from leisure is important because these overlap so much. Whether you are finishing school assignments on Zoom or surfing through Netflix, you are at one position on your couch all day looking at the screen. Here are some actionable tips for your kids to help master the art of self-discipline- 

Carve Out Dedicated Screen Time– Let’s face it, completely removing screens out of your child’s life is not possible anymore with our lives so inextricably linked to our laptops and phones. Instead, specify the times during the day when screen time is allowed and when screen time is not. 1 hour before bed, screen time should be discouraged as it affects their sleep schedule. Screen time should be discouraged during exercise and playtime as time away from their rooms and on playgrounds should be encouraged! 

Set Realistic Boundaries- This is usually one of the most common problems we face as parents are to navigate a thin line between what is reasonable and what is extreme. As parents, our protective instinct always comes strong when deciding on rules for our kids. However, for successful implementation, one needs to be realistic about the rules. If you are too clinical or too lax about the rules, chances are that these systems will fail soon. 

Understand Your Child’s Capacities- When it comes to making rules in your household, it needs to be in line with your child’s personality. Sure, reading a parenting book or reading an article with help or inspire you with putting some rules in place but make sure that these rules are in line with your child’s boundaries and capacities. If your child is very disorganized with their time, instill self-discipline habits regarding punctuality. If they are messy, self-discipline should be related to maintaining hygiene and cleanliness around the house. 

Do Not Compare- The grass is always not greener! If you feel like your friend’s household or your relative’s household has certain rules in place with their children that seem really smart, stop there. Appreciate it, understand it but do not start comparing your kids with theirs. This is probably one of the best tips related to instilling self-discipline in your kids. Your kids do not need to be compared with others for them to become more disciplined in their daily lives. Instead, have an open discussion about some ideas you like and approach it to your kids to navigate their responses to the same. 

Collaboration is Key- As a parent, if you find something is out of order with your kid’s schedule, the first response is to have a strict rule in place to immediately remove the problem. The issue with this approach is that the good effects are short-lived. The best way to ensure that self-discipline habits are ingrained in your child’s daily life is to collaborate and discuss this together. Your child might be able to give an important insight from their end as to why they are unable to be disciplined and both of you can come up with a schedule that works for your child. This helps keep your child accountable to themselves! 

Keep a Chart in Place- Sometimes, kids are visual learners. They need to have something tangible that motivates them to keep going on their journey towards self-discipline. Keeping a chart in the middle of the house that can be regularly updated after completion of tasks or daily habits can be helpful for your young children who get satisfaction when they see a tick or a filled list. You can also come up with a chore wheel to help with this project! 

Make Mindfulness A Daily Routine- Mindful thinking or mindful breathing can greatly help with your child’s concentration and focus. What happens to children is that sometimes they are unable to remain consistent with their daily habits, or things simply fall off routine. This is where mindful mediation and thinking come in as it refocuses your child’s cloudy thoughts and helps them remove the noise from their thinking. This helps them to stay focused on their daily goals, and helps them acknowledge and celebrate their wins- big or small!