As a grown up, sometimes I wonder how I turned out so disciplined and well-groomed. I ask myself what was so special in the way I was brought up compared to some other kids I grew up with. Then I remembered that some of the children I grew up with got away with their mischievous schemes even as children. The way I was brought up reminds me that indeed, the way parents talk to their kids becomes their inner voice.

Children always look up to their parents :They watch their responses when they do something right or wrong. If the parent’s reaction is in the positive, they keep repeating that same habit either immediately or at a later time. On the other hand, if such a child gets a serious scolding from the parent, there’s a high possibility the child doesn’t repeat such habit. In time, the child stops doing it because he doesn’t want a scolding from the parent.
In training your kids, the words you say to them matter a lot because it shapes their thinking. However, the approach most parents use in speaking to their kids isn’t the best, and the child may end up thinking he isn’t loved by his parents. You can ensure your child listens to you without damaging his self-esteem by;

Saying kind words to them: Nothing makes a child happier than knowing his parent’s love and care for him. A child can only know this when you say kind words to him or her. This doesn’t mean you should spoil them but let them know the joy you had when they came into the world. Praise them when they say or do the right things. If they fail at a task or homework, encourage them to do better but say it in a nice way.

Be the parent that disciplines your child: The good book says, spare the rod and spoil the child. This does not necessarily mean parents should use a rod to discipline their children. Children do not know what they do or what it means. All they do and say is what they learn at home, school on T.V, etc. It is left to you to filter the good behaviors from the bad by showing them discipline, and of course, not in an abusive way.

Reward them when they exhibit good behavior: You can do this by saying kind words to them or buying gifts. Your words have a great effect on your child. Be careful how you use them. Also, watch how you behave around them because, at the end of the day, you are the one that shapes your child’s behavior.