At what stage in your child’s development is it appropriate to reinforce them?

1. 61

   LoveJewelposted 13 years ago

   At what stage in your child’s development is it appropriate to reinforce them?
   
   
   Children become very active in need to explore at various ages. mostly by the age of two without a real sense of what's right or wrong. How can you tell them no when in fact they really have no knowledge of what no really means.

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2. 0

   Phoebe Pikeposted 13 years ago

   Children know what "no" means. It's just that their urge to explore is greater than their self-restraint. We need to teach them to stay away by saying no and showing them what is right. When my son goes to do something and I say no, I just take him away from it and put him in a place that is okay for him to be in. Then I give him something to keep his attention on that place so he won't think about going back to the other place. I don't mean rewarding him, but instead, playing with his toy car that is in the safe area so he will actually desire to be there more than other places.

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3. 60

   stars439posted 13 years ago

   Great question. I bet your a great parent . I think it comes natural for parents to always want to protect, or reinforce their children when they feel that needs to be done.
   
   God Bless You Precious Heart.

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4. 81

   CrazyGataposted 13 years ago

   We reinforce them all the time, oftentimes without knowing... A baby cries, in comes mama, that's reinforcement... Reinforcement is but that feedback one gets in the communication process. We always reinforce... sometimes reinforcement could promote what we define as negative behavior.
   In short, in my opinion, there is no set age to consciously start reinforcing behavior.
   Start at day zero, go from there.
   
   For example, I never came rushing to my children if they threw a tantrum, for example. I always let them know that it was not them, but me, who was in control. Their lack of control was not going to control the situation.
   
   Another example, public behavior and private behavior.  Some parents pretend their children to have certain behavior outside the house, when they actually allow or reinforce same behavior in the privacy of their home.  This is very unfair to the child as their souls are candid enough not to know the difference between public and private. So, make sure you let your children know how you want them to behave in public by promoting such behavior wherever you are, albeit home or at the mall.
   
   Letting them know has nothing to do with verbal communication.  Everything communicates.  And certainly when it comes to discipline and reinforcement, non-verbals work wonders, especially if you are being consistent with your discipline method.
   
   I could go on, life is not a cookie cutter.  I have a 20 year old man that absolutely by now flies solo :-) and two reinforcable little ones, well, not that little, of 10 and 8.  So, I've been through every stage. 
   
   In essence, if you mean it to convey your message they will certainly get it. If you're playing they will get your drift to... and you'll be the one reinforced, it doesn't matter if he's two or 20.

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5. 74

   prektjr.dcposted 13 years ago

   A newborn is reinforced when it is picked up when it cries.  The child quickly learns that it need only to cry to get a response.  Good or bad - it is a response.  The same principle applies for children of all ages.  Reinforcement is giving a response to an action or behavior.  Positive reinforcement teaches children good behaviors as it is technically rewarding good behavior and redirecting unwanted behavior.  Note I stated unwanted, as it isn't necessarily bad, it is unwanted.  The behaviors that are reinforced will become habitual.  That begins at birth.  By age five, children have established the large majority of all their behaviors, whether wanted or unwanted, so it is best to begin early!  I wrote a hub about positive reinforcement building good behavior.  It worked for me over 18 years of teaching preschool and 3 years of Kindergarten.

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6. 60

   jean2011posted 13 years ago

   I think it is difficult to pinpont a single stage in a child's development to reinforce him because each child is different. But, I would say reinforce the child using gestures, words etc. because children do watch and look at the face of his parents all the time.

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7. 61

   Glosheiposted 13 years ago

   That is up to each parent, I agree with jean2011 they only have to see the look on your face and they know whether it is right or wrong.
   From an early age they learn but when you start don't confuse them, both parents have to sing from the same hymn sheet on this one.

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8. 58

   sir_tallestposted 13 years ago

   i'll say it is kind of hard....just do what you can and pray that whatever your doing is the right now

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