One of the most common dilemmas that parents face is how to control their children when they’re behaving badly, and these moments are crucial to their learning and development. While everyone has their own parenting style, some techniques are more effective than others. In this article, we will discuss how to encourage good behaviour without punishment.

​Read: 9 Different Ways In Which A Mother Can Influence Child Development

Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is known as rewarding attitudes and actions that are good with something that’s pleasant or desirable. It’s not just in parents that positive reinforcement is highly effective. In fact, the concept was originally tested on animals to observe their behaviours in response to food rewards. The theory teaches us that certain behaviours and actions can be encouraged by offering a reward for the action being completed. In parenting, for example, this could be offering a child time to watch their favourite TV show once they complete their school homework, or similarly taking them to the waterpark if they tidy their room first.

Positive reinforcement works best when the reward you offer is desirable – and something your child actually cares about. It’s also important to make the link between their good behaviour and the reward obvious, either by offering it straight away or vocally reiterating it to them. This method is an example of a positive parenting technique, which not every technique is classified as. In contrast to positive reinforcement is punishment – a theory whose effectiveness is considered controversial. If you do decide to use punishment in your parenting strategies, it’s necessary to always be calm and consistent in your actions.

Be Their Role Model

It’s widely understood that our traits and attitudes, even from a young age, are determined by our genetics and learned behaviours. Although certain traits are inherited through family genetics, the behaviours and experiences learned from parents and family members can influence and modify how these traits are expressed. It might not be obvious, but everything you do and say as a parent will be absorbed and processed by your children, which is why you must watch your own behaviour before trying to improve theirs. From a young age, every child must have a positive role model to follow. Not only will this encourage them to replicate these healthy attitudes and behaviours, but it will also lower the chances of them becoming influenced by poor role models that involve themselves with dangerous activities.

Delegate Responsibility

As your child gets older, they will benefit from taking on more responsibilities, whether that’s around the house, with meals or even with their siblings. When they feel responsible, they’re more likely to behave well – mainly because they have a clear reason to do so. With responsibility also comes consequence, and your children can quickly get to grips with what will happen if they don’t follow through with their responsibilities. An easy way to introduce responsibility into your daily routine is to make them in charge of tasks they’re familiar with doing every day.

For example, packing lunchboxes or loading the car with everyone’s school bags. Giving your children specific tasks to take care of directs their attention to that specific responsibility, meaning they’ll have less time on their hands to cause mischief. On top of that, giving your children a personal assignment opens the doors to several learning opportunities along the way. What we mean by this is, when they first take on their dedicated task, they’re probably going to struggle.  As they continue to do it, they will learn to improve from their own mistakes.

When trying to encourage good behaviour in young children, it’s helpful to understand that the process will take time. Just when you feel like you’re making progress, you might have a moment that feels like you’re back where you started. After all, they’re kids…which means you can’t ever fully control what they’re going to say or do. The most important thing to remember is that consistency is more important than accuracy.

It’s not going to feel perfect when you first try it, so don’t be concerned if you crumble and make a mistake. But above everything, patience is key. The next time you walk into their bedroom and see your expensive cream blush used as a crayon, take a breath – a big one – and remind yourself that every messy moment is part of their creativity and development.

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Expert perspectives on the significance of play for children’s learning are considered in this discussion. The concept of play is the subject of a wealth of complex and extensive theories and research. This discussion is a general overview of some of this literature.

In everyday conversation, we use the term ‘play’ to describe a wide variety of activities and experiences. We talk about playing sports, role-playing, pretend play, video games, and board and video game games. The word play means many different things to many different people.

Psychologists, play scholars and educators are more specific about what play is. They identify a number of characteristics that differentiate play from other more structured and organised activities.

Is Play A Waste Of Time?

In our adult world, we often emphasise hard work. Our primary focus is on accomplishing our objectives and performing our duties. Play may be viewed as a healthy break at best, or as a complete waste of time at worst, unless it contributes to our objectives and priorities. If we view children’s play from an adult’s perspective, we may consider organised activities such as sport to be useful, but view spontaneous play as a waste of time.

In the world of the child, things are different. Play is not seen as a waste of time in a child’s life. For several decades research has been highlighting the benefits of children’s play. According to this research, unstructured play is considered to be a universal activity that is integral for the physical, social, cognitive and emotional well-being of children. Play is important for promoting healthy child development while facilitating children’s learning.

So, according to research, unstructured play activities are not a waste of time.

How Play Contributes To Development

The Value Of Play

Play helps children develop and fine-tune their physical, social, cognitive and emotional abilities and skills.

Physical Development

Children gain strength, agility, coordination, and balance through physical activities like running, jumping, climbing, dancing, and playing with objects.

Social Skills

Play can be solitary, particularly for younger children. Play may also be a group activity through which children learn the skills for social interaction. They develop social skills such as sharing, cooperating, taking turns.

Cognitive Development

Play promotes cognitive skills and development in children. Both individual and group play develop skills such as language, critical thinking, reasoning, remembering, learning and paying attention.

Emotional Development

Play can help children to explore and understand their own feelings and those of others. They learn to identify with both themselves and the world around them through imaginative play. Role play enables them to understand other perspectives.

Play experiences generally incorporate several of these areas of learning and development. A group of kids kicking around a blow up ball will be practicing their gross motor skills. At the same time, as each child plays, the group interacts. They will be learning social skills such as teamwork and cooperation. They will be using their cognitive skills as they develop strategies to move the ball to and around other players.

Children learn about negotiation, cooperation, sharing, and taking turns as they work together to build an obstacle course at home out of cardboard boxes. They also improve their coordination and fine motor skills. Play lets children practice and extend skills that they learn in more structured settings. They might practice skills they have learnt during basketball training. But because there are no external rules in free play, they might try things that aren’t allowed in formal training, like standing with their back to the hoop and trying to shoot a three-pointer or using the basketball as a soccer ball. So play is a universal activity that is important for children’s physical, social, cognitive and emotional development.

Playing Ages And Stages

From infancy through early childhood education and into adolescence, children engage in a variety of playforms. Play for infants and babies involves simple, repetitive activities and interactions. These become more diverse and complex as the child grows.

Babies And Infants

Play at this stage is frequently a solitary activity. Babies are becoming aware of, and beginning to explore the world around them. They do this with repetitive activities such as putting their hands in and out of their mouth, or patting a mobile. Such activities, while simple, are developing physical coordination and cognitive skills such as concentration. Play items can be as simple as spoons, plastic containers and scrunched up paper. Socially, babies seek to engage others in simple interactions like smiling, blowing raspberries and peek-a-boo. They are seeking responses such as smiles and laughing. This is a time when strong parent child bonds can begin to develop.

Toddlers

Toddlers are becoming more physically active. They like to run, jump, and climb. They are also becoming aware that others also play. They may take on the role of an interested onlooker watching their peers play. They frequently interact with other toddlers while playing together. Role-playing is also an element of toddler play as they start to imitate adults doing housework, fixing things or using the phone. Toddlers don’t need many toys. Things such as simple jigsaw puzzles, matching games, blocks and common household objects are often utilized as playthings.

Preschool

During the preschool years, children move from playing alongside other children to engage in more interactive, mutual play. At the same time, they started to assert their independence. They will often insist on doing things for themselves. They don’t want help building the tower! They are developing skills such as physical coordination, communication, sharing, and problem solving. They are becoming more effective in articulating their needs.

Those In School

School age children are becoming increasingly independent while actively participating in play that is interactive and cooperative with others.

Assisting Children’s Play

Even though children initiate and direct free play activities, parents can still participate. Parents can actively encourage their children to play. They can offer secure play areas where kids can explore, test their limits, and test their limits. Parents can even join in their kids’ play. They do need to ensure that they are participating rather than controlling or competing. This can foster strong parent child bonds.

Conclusion

Play is important for children’s learning and development. Through play, children develop their physical, social, and emotional abilities and skills. It is not a waste of time. Play is spontaneous, unpredictable, controlled by the players, and fun. Given the importance of play, perhaps we should all make time to play a bit more.

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During these formative years, a child’s brain is like a sponge, absorbing new information and experiences at a remarkable rate. According to VeryWellMind, this critical period of brain development brings rapid cognitive, emotional, and physical growth for a child. It paves the way for greater learning capabilities.

Early childhood education programs and ECE educators prove invaluable during this critical time, offering structured, creative environments to nurture the developing child. Children at this age gain the essential tools and skills they will require throughout their academic journey and life by participating in well-designed ECE programs. It is important to provide children with stimulating environments and projects to enhance their cognitive abilities during their preschool years.

Preparing For Kindergarten

A key benefit of early childhood education is the support it provides to prepare children for entering kindergarten. Many ECE programs teach children to reason by incorporating problem-solving tasks, which helps to develop their critical thinking skills.

Fostering Curiosity And Creativity

Effective childhood education also encourages children to explore their surroundings, which fosters curiosity and a sense of wonder. Imaginative play, such as pretending to be a doctor or a chef, allows a child to exercise creativity and develop an imagination.

Forms Of Play

In fact, a great deal of early learning takes place when young students are involved in different forms of play:

Hands-On Activities

These activities involve sensory play, art projects, science experiments, and construction using building blocks. Such activities encourage exploration, creativity, and an understanding of basic scientific concepts.

Laying The Foundations For Literacy

A child’s early years lay the groundwork for more advanced literacy skills. During early childhood education, young students develop pre-reading abilities as they practice letter recognition and phonics, as well as building their vocabulary. Even at this young age, children are exposed to a rich language environment, which helps them learn how to communicate.

Long before they enter kindergarten, young students can begin to develop early math knowledge, such as counting, sorting, and recognizing shapes. This rudimentary knowledge supplies children with the necessary tools to sustain themselves academically as they eventually progress through school.

Language, Arts, And Music

Storytelling, reading, music, and dance: Reading and storytelling foster language skills, comprehension, and a love for literature. They also enhance imagination and listening abilities, while activities like singing, dancing, and playing simple musical instruments help young students to develop motor skills, rhythm, and self-expression.

Group Projects And Collaboration

Working together on projects teaches kids skills such as cooperation, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Cultural And Technological Exploration

Exploration of new cultures and languages: Activities that introduce children to different cultures, languages, and customs broaden their understanding of the world.

Technology games and apps: Integrating age-appropriate technology like educational apps and interactive games during playtime enhances learning and tech literacy, which is a practical skill in today’s digital age.

Boosting Social And Emotional Development

Social development is closely related to cognitive development. Young students who interact with their peers, share ideas, and collaborate on projects develop valuable social skills, including empathy, cooperation, and conflict resolution.

These social interactions further enhance cognitive abilities and contribute to children’s overall emotional well-being.

Recognizing Diverse Learning Needs

Young children in high-quality early childhood care are treated as individuals whose cognitive development is as individual as their personalities. Educators must understand the importance of creating inclusive environments that cater to the various learning needs of each child.

As a result, teachers should provide differentiated instruction, adapting their teaching methods and lesson plans to suit the learning styles of their students. Personalized teaching approaches ensure all children have the opportunity to thrive and reach their full cognitive potential.

Social And Emotional Development In Childhood

An early childhood education program should provide a safe, nurturing environment for young students to develop their social and emotional skills. This type of environment encourages interactions with peers, teachers, and caregivers to build meaningful social connections and relationships. By integrating collaborative play in early childhood education, young students also learn to share, take turns, and cooperate effectively, which are among the biggest challenges for young students to learn.

Early childhood educators can further promote students’ emotional growth by teaching them how to identify and express their emotions in a healthy manner. This way, they learn how to manage their feelings and resolve conflicts peacefully.

Acquiring the ability to manage emotions and resolve conflicts help contribute to children’s emotional intelligence, a necessity for successfully navigating relationships and developing strong social bonds at any age.

Influences On Development

A student’s social, emotional, and academic development are influenced by a number of factors. They include both direct and indirect influences that influence a child’s development as a whole. From the level of nurturing at home to the social and educational experiences at school, nearly every aspect of kids’ lives guides them either closer to or further away from becoming well-rounded and capable individuals. Recognizing this intricate interplay is of the utmost importance for caregivers and early childhood educators.

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These strategies may occasionally be useful, but the maturation amount will almost always be affected by rising inflation and education costs. If you want your savings to grow over time and create a financial security net for your child’s education needs, investing in the best Child Education Plan can be your greatest decision.

When things don’t go as planned, this financial tool combines savings, insurance, and investments to ensure that your child’s education plans are unaffected.

How To Select The Best Education Plan For Your Child

The available range of child education plans can easily overwhelm any parent. Even if days of research are unable to assist you in determining “which is the best Child Education Plan in India,” you can begin your search by employing the following methods:

Choose Plans That Align With Your Child’s Education Goals

Estimate your child’s future education costs based on their age, inflation trends, and potential career interests before looking for a Child Education Plan. Choose whether you want to use this fund for international study, postgraduate study, or both.

Determining a clear and realistic goal will help you select the right plan that can accumulate the necessary funds without putting financial pressure on other aspects of.

Not all education plans provide similar payout structures. Some allow you to get periodic payments, while others may give a lump sum at the end of the policy. While periodic payments can provide financial relief during education and college, lump sum payouts are ideal for covering higher education expenses.

So, assess your expected needs and pick a plan whose payout structure matches your financial requirements.

Pick Plans Based On Your Risk Appetite

Each Child Education Plan has its own set of features and risk profiles. If you are risk-tolerant, then Unit-Linked Insurance Plans will be better for your children because they allow a part of the premium to be invested in debt funds, equity, and other financial securities.

While investments in equity are risky, they also have a potential for higher returns. Conversely, if you’re risk-averse, endowment plans will be a better choice. Market uncertainties do not affect these plans, providing you greater financial stability.

We recommend assessing each plan based on your risk profile and not just the promised benefits of a child education plan.

Look For Premium Waiver Benefits

If you’ve done enough research on ‘what is Child Education Plan’ and related aspects, you would know that a premium waiver is a must-have feature on child education plans.

Plans with a built-in premium waiver or as an additional benefit lets the insurer pay the remaining premiums if the parent(s) pass away.

In case the unfortunate demise of the policyholder happens without them paying the full premium, their children will not have to pay the pending premiums because of the premium waiver benefit. The insurer will pay it themselves till maturity.

Children can then claim full maturity benefits to fund their education. You can also add additional benefits/riders to a particular plan to make the policy more effective.

Benefits Of Child Plans

Not all child education plans are designed the same, but they all provide numerous benefits to the insured. Regardless of the child education plan you choose, you can rest assured of receiving the following benefits of a Child Education Plan.

Financial Security For Child’s Future

Investing in a child education plan ensures that your child will remain financially secure, even if something happens to you. The amount received on policy maturity can be used to fund higher education, start an entrepreneurial venture, or anything that supports their dream career.

To ensure your child’s future, always put money into the best Child Plans, like the Shriram Life Early Cash Plan.

Tax Savings

You can claim deductions of the amount paid towards the education plan’s premium, lowering your tax liability. However, you can only claim up to a maximum of ₹1.50 lakh/per annum u/s 80C.

The maturity proceeds are also tax-free u/s 10(10D). This exemption is available if the premium payment didn’t exceed 10% of the sum assured during the policy term and the premium didn’t exceed ₹2.50 lakh mark in any year.

In the unfortunate event of the policyholder’s death, the child (nominee) will continue to receive death benefits that are exempt from tax under section 80(10D).

Partial Withdrawals

The funds that policyholders have accumulated over time may be used to make partial withdrawals from some plans. It can provide instant financial relief during emergencies.

Peace Of Mind And A Sense Of Control

Some people use savings plans to pay for their children’s education. Even though these plans offer a lot of benefits, big expenses like wedding costs, big repairs to a house, or medical bills can drain the savings.

Saving for your child’s education by investing in the best child education plan will give you peace of mind and an assurance that your child’s education fund remains untouched and is only used for the designated purpose.

Secure Education Loan Against Policy

If your child’s education plan changes over time and requires a higher amount before maturity, you can secure an education loan by using the policy as collateral.

For example, the Shriram Life New Shri Vidya plan can be used to get a loan of up to 80% of the surrender value.

How Does A Child Plan Work?

‘Which is the best child education plan in India’ is probably the most pressing question many parents ask themselves. Although not all plans offer the same benefits, features, etc., they all function in the same way.

The plan comes into effect when you choose the right plan for your child’s education, fill out the required application form, upload the necessary documents, and make the first payment.

You continue making timely premiums, and the insurer invests those in equity, debt instruments, or other financial securities based on the policy type and terms.

The policy matures once your child reaches a specified age or the policy term is over. In either case, you receive the maturity proceeds that can be used for your child’s education. If the policyholder dies during the policy tenure, the child (nominee) receives full death benefits.

Secure Your Child’s Future With Shriram Life Insurance

Children’s futures are heavily influenced by their education levels and quality. So, parents must make financial arrangements for their child’s educational needs. Whether you’ve recently become a parent or your child has already started their schooling journey, it’s recommended to start saving early by investing in the best Child Education Plan. This strategic investment will ensure that your children complete their education, even if things don’t go as planned.

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Disparities And Financing In ECCE

Disparities in child development begin early and are pronounced among disadvantaged groups. Approximately 30% of children worldwide are not on track developmentally, with those from poorer households and rural areas facing significant challenges. In contrast, however, it faces significant challenges including underfunding, lack of cohesive policies, and insufficient data. In order to guarantee that children will be prepared for primary education by 2030, it is urgently necessary to increase access to and the quality of ECCE. Despite calls for increased funding, actual investment in ECCE remains low, with global median spending on pre-primary education at just 0.4% of GDP. Closing this financing gap is critical, especially considering that the required investment to meet pre-primary education goals by 2030 is estimated at USD 354 billion for low and middle-income countries.

What Is The Basis For UNESCO’s Approach To This Work?

UNESCO regards ECCE as a fundamental and integral part of the education system and a solid foundation on which to build lifelong education, lives, and careers. All of its work in this area is aligned with target 4.2 of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ‘By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.’ UNESCO developed a Global Partnership Strategy to close the gap and guarantee that all children have access to high-quality ECCE, early primary school years, and family education.

UNESCO’s work is based on the idea that ‘Learning begins at birth,’ introduced in the World Declaration on Education for All Jomtien declaration. Young children have the right, as stated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), not only to live, but also to thrive and grow to their full potential. Ten years later, UNESCO’s World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education (Moscow 2010) warned that the EFA Goal on ECCE was ‘at great risk of not being achieved by 2015 unless urgent and resolute action is taken’ and highlighted ECCE as a social, human, and economic development imperative.

With only six years left to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on inclusive and quality education, the world remains significantly off-track. Millions of children are falling behind in their developmental milestones and many lack access to pre-school education, putting their future learning opportunities at risk. Addressing these educational deficits is crucial to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

A significant step forward to addressing these needs was taken with the adoption of The Tashkent Declaration for Early Childhood Care and Education, the outcome of the World Conference on Early Childhood Care and Education (WCECCE), held in November 2022. As the first high-level intergovernmental event in the field of education to be organized after the Transforming Education Summit (TES), the conference served as a platform for diverse stakeholders to discuss experiences. To further support these goals, one of the commitments of the Tashkent Declaration is the first Global Report on Early Childhood Care and Education, jointly prepared by UNESCO and UNICEF, with the support of GPE, ILO, OECD, WHO, and The LEGO Foundation. Building on new findings on the key issues facing ECCE, the report provides recommendations to governments and the international community to promote an integrated ECCE ecosystem that better supports children and families.

How Does UNESCO Work To Promote ECCE?

UNESCO collaborates with governments and other key stakeholders concerned with the care and education of young children from birth until primary school entry. Its ECCE activities focus on promoting holistic and quality pre-primary education for all children over the age of 3, ensuring the use of developmentally appropriate pedagogies and emphasizing the links with primary education as well as early childhood health, nutrition and social services.

Concretely it works with Member States at national, regional and international levels by influencing policies and practices through evidence-based advocacy, knowledge generation and sharing, partnership-building, capacity-building and technical assistance. These include work in teacher development through projects like STEPP (The Survey of Teachers in Pre-Primary Education), parenting education and family literacy, and measurement and monitoring.

UNESCO promotes the integration of an ECCE component in countries’ education sector plans to address the needs of different age groups and includes the marginalized. Partnerships that involve working with health, nutrition and social sectors as well as civil society and private sector actors help widen the reach to children.

Key Recommendations To Ensure A Robust Foundation For Children’s Rights In ECCE

Key recommendations to ensure a robust foundation for children’s rights in ECCE include promoting ECCE for school readiness, prioritizing vulnerable children, supporting parents and caregivers, valuing ECCE personnel, investing in data, leveraging research, increasing investments by governments, enhancing international efforts and partnerships, and expanding the right to education through a legally binding international framework. By implementing these recommendations, stakeholders can address the comprehensive needs of young children globally, setting a foundation for better educational outcomes and lifelong benefits.

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