How to Discipline a Child in Public

Disciplining a child in public is acceptable and necessary.

Children do not come with instructions for discipline. There will be times when you will have to enforce the rules when you are away from home. Some parents may be apprehensive about taking their children places for fear that they will act up when they are out. This happens. It is part of raising little ones. Children routinely test the rules to see if they are still being enforced. You will need a way to show them that the rules are still valid wherever they are.

Instructions

1. Know what triggers certain behaviors and how you will enforce discipline if the child acts up while you are out. You know your child best and what things may trigger a tantrum or outburst. You want something that can be used anywhere and time-outs are good. Eye up the time-out spot immediately upon entering. It can be along a wall, a quiet corner or even in the car. A time-out is effective during times when the child is unable to control their behavior and needs time to cool down.

2. Inform your child about what behavior you expect him to exhibit while you are out. If you are going grocery shopping, tell him he must stay near, not run off and to ask permission before touching anything. Tell your child the rules and the consequences if they are broken. Let him know it will be a time-out, revoking of a privilege or leaving the store.

3. Set very clear boundaries, expectations and follow through. Consistency is the key to teaching your child good behavior. Do not get discouraged. Every child acts up from time to time. You may endure stares form other parents if your child throws a public tantrum, but remember: All parents deal with tantrums and most likely, they'll sympathize with you. If you are consistent with discipline, you will see these occurrences lessen as the child learns that you mean what you say.

4. Stand your ground when tested by your child. Children will test the boundaries to see if you will walk the talk. When misbehavior happens, give the child one warning to stop the behavior and tell her what consequences will quickly ensue if it's not stopped immediately. Do this by remaining calm and kneel down to your child's level. Speak in a calm, but firm, tone and explain why the behavior is inappropriate. If the behavior continues, follow through with the consequences.

5. Give the child something to do while you are shopping. This will help with distractions, like the candy and toy aisles. Draw pictures of fruit or vegetables and ask the child to help you look for those items in the store. Give her one of the hand baskets and let her help carry some items. When the shopping trip is over, praise her for her good behavior. Let her know how proud you are of her for doing so well.

Tips & Warnings

• Be willing to leave the store or go out and sit in the car for a time-out. If you have another adult with you, one could take the child to the time-out spot or back to the car while you continue with your shopping.

References

• Keep Kids Healthy: Parenting in Public
• Healthy Children: Disciplining Your Child
• Understanding Children: Disciplining Your Preschooler

Resources

• Kid Source Online: How to Teach Your Children Discipline