Guiding Young Children's Behavior

Book excerpt: This collection of articles is compiled to offer parents and teachers guidelines to help navigate between a child's intentions and his or her behavior. The book consists of 43 brief chapters divided into 9 sections. Articles in section one, "Guiding Young Children's Behavior," address issues of discipline, setting limits, effective rules, and dealing with unacceptable behavior. Articles in section two, "Communicating with Young Children," examine use of constructive communication and loving words. Articles in section three, "Teaching Children Responsibility," explore issues of obedience, decision-making, and self-control. The articles in section four, "Coping with Stress in Special Situations," discuss issues of child care, traveling, divorce, stress, and death, while those in section five, "Coping with Stress in Everyday Situations," focus on anger, fear, and medical care. Articles in section six, "Keeping Your Child Healthy," explore issues of good health habits, eating well, and medical visits, and those in section seven, "Exercise and Fitness for Young Children," examine issues of physical fitness, active time, and enjoying the outdoors. Articles in section eight, "Young Children's Safety," examine preschooler safety and protecting children from abuse. Finally, articles in section nine, "Finding the Positives," address issues of promoting positive behavior and sending positive messages to children. Each of the sections ends with a listing of resources for further information.(SD)