Many children, old and young, know the song: “You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why: Santa Claus is coming to town.” At this time of year, many parents turn to the threat of finding a lump of coal in their stocking on Christmas morning to keep kids in line and researchers with the University of Michigan wanted to know just how many parents do it.
They talked to 725 parents who had at least one child aged 1 to 5 years old. More than half of them said they’ve used incentives or bribery to encourage good behavior in their children. One in four have specifically threatened the prospect of no Santa or gifts.
Experts said this might not be the best idea. Instead, they said try positive reinforcement and be specific.
So, if a child helps clean up, instead of saying, “What a good boy or girl,” experts suggest saying something like, “That’s so good how you helped pick up the toys.”
Child behavior experts also said consistency is key. But about a quarter of parents said that’s easier said than done.
One in four parents said they get too irritated when their child misbehaves and react before remembering strategies they’ve come up with to address the behavior. Another big issue about a quarter of parents face is they’re just too tired to be consistent.
