- FIRM: clearly state consequences of inappropriate behaviours and adhere to it if child did not follow.
- FAIR: state consequences in advance and it should fit the crime. Harsh punishment is not necessary. A simple Time Out can be effective if it is used consistently everytime the behavious occurs. Also, positive rewards can be used when no Time Out is used for the child for the whole day.
- FRIENDLY: use a friendly but firm communication style whereby no harsh words are used against the child. Encourage them to try to remember what they should do to avoid future consequences. Catch them being good and praise them for it.
Parent tips
The '3 Fs' of effective parenting
1. It prepares your child to be ready for sleep: spend 10-15 minutes simply being still and listening to a story will calm down your child. A result activity can slow his mind down and relaxed his body which is a great way to make the transition from an active day to a good night's sleep.
2. It prepares your child to be ready to read: constantly exposing children to look at the book will let them learn how each letter looks like and how words are formed even before they knew how to read. Reading also helps your child to learn new vocabulary and sees that pages are read from left to right and top to bottom. They can even eventually tell the differences between spoken and written language.
3. It helps build your child's imagination: when a book is read to your child, he has to bring his own efforts to process the information and have a picture in his head of what is happening, creating the images in his mind.
4. It helps your child to learn about their world: children's book, especially picture books often reinforce the familiar events of a child's world such as going to school and going to bed. It gives them a context for their own daily routine. It could also include experiences that the child has not yet experience such as going to the zoo and sitting on a hot air balloon.
5. It helps to strengthen your bond with your child: bedtime reading means that the last events of your child's peaceful moments before sleep are spent with their parents. They can also get to ask questions during reading or give the child a chance to share about their concerns for the day. At the end of the day, you get to build emotional connections with your child and an opportunity to show affections and cuddles with your child.