Parenting Guide: 7 expert tips for positive parenting for 6 to 10 year old children

Parenting children aged 6 to 10 comes with unique challenges as they grow more independent and emotionally aware. This guide shares 7 expert tips to help you practice positive parenting and nurture confident, well-adjusted kids. 

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7 expert tips for positive parenting

Ages 6-10 are a formative time in the life of a child. Children in these years are discovering independence, building social relationships, and determining who they are. Positive parenting during these years gives a child the basis for emotional strength, responsibility, and self-confidence that will last a lifetime. Below are seven expert suggestions to help you through this critical phase of your parenting career.

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1. Encourage Open Communication

Experts remind us that it's crucial to create a secure environment where children feel heard. Encourage your child to open up about their thoughts, concerns, and feelings without judgment. Use active listening and open-ended questions to keep the conversation flowing. Trust is built, and they discover that their voice matters.

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2. Create Clear and Consistent Rules

Children thrive when they know what they can expect. Set rules according to their ages and be consistent with punishment. Consistency, child psychologists add, provides a sense of security and allows children to understand the link between behavior and consequence.

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3. Encourage Problem-Solving Skills

Rather than providing all the solutions yourself, challenge your child to think and create their own solution. Ask them such questions as, "What do you think you can do about that?" This is encouraging of critical thinking and makes them feel competent and self-reliant.

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4. Use Praise Wisely

Positive reinforcement is strong, but specialists warn against excessive praising. Praise effort, not result. Rather than uttering to the child "You're so smart," tell the child "I'm proud you worked so hard on the project." This encourages a growth mindset and will encourage kids to continue trying even when they are stuck.

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5. Model the Behavior You Want to See

Children aged 6 to 10 are also good observers and enjoy mimicking adults. Thus, if it is your desire for your child to be polite, soft-spoken, or tolerant—then become so yourself. Experts concur unanimously that role-playing is perhaps the greatest pedagogical tool.

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6. Encourage Independence With Supervision

This group of children needs independence. Provide them with room for making small decisions, such as choosing what to wear or arranging their school bag, within boundaries of safety. Free will within boundaries gives them confidence and enhances decision-making.

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7. Focus on Emotional Regulation

Educate your child to identify and regulate their feelings. Employ simple strategies such as labeling emotions, breathing deeply, or sketaching out the way they feel. Parents can model their calmness and empathy when reacting to tantrums and tantrum behavior, and children learn to mirror that control of emotions.