Raising well-rounded children through positive reinforcement

In this day and age, modern parenting styles and new child behavior management methods have been developed. Just as every child is unique, every family also has their own set of ways for child-rearing, and what might work for one, might not work for another.

We often hear of positive reinforcement and how it has become one of the most advocated forms of establishing discipline in children. Many believe that acknowledging your child’s good behavior might work better even if it seems counterproductive at the beginning.

Berkeley Well-Being Institute describes positive reinforcement as the method of increasing the future occurrence of some response or behavior by following that behavior with an enjoyable consequence. To put it plainly, recognizing and rewarding your child’s good behavior can eventually promote the recurrence of that behavior in the future.    

Why positive reinforcement?

The way you discipline your children can affect their long-term behavior. While it is critical that children should be disciplined, this does not imply that harsh verbal and physical punishments should be used. Positive reinforcement has the potential to provide longer-term benefits, which include a significant improvement in the bond between parent and child.

It can also help develop your child’s personality2. Children are innately smart. They know that good behavior can lead to favorable consequences like rewards or even simple recognition. As they continue doing good and getting praised for it, the value of self-discipline and responsibility gets instilled in them. Children prompted by apprehension, on the contrary, may only conform with minimal effort — they only do the bare minimum to avoid punishment.

When you recognize your child’s positive behavior, you make them more confident and feel great about themselves. Your words of affirmation will surely set up your children for future accomplishments and successes. Rather than making them feel bad and focusing on what they did wrong, positive reinforcement can make them realize that they are innately good, and they can do great things.         

Finding the right partner in raising your child

“With all the million things that preoccupy our minds every day, thinking about our health and well-being might take a back seat,” Nandy Villar, AXA Philippines Chief Marketing Officer said. “Prioritizing your family’s needs doesn’t equate to neglecting your own. Somebody has to watch out for you as well, and this is where AXA Philippines comes in and provides you with protection you need.”

To help you focus on raising your children while looking out for yourself, AXA offers affordable health insurance products such as the Health Start Family plan, which can cover you and a loved one against top critical conditions like cancer, stroke, and heart attack for as low as P1,500 a month for a P1 million coverage. This plan can be shared between you and a spouse, a parent, a child aged 18 and above, or even a sibling. It also includes a built-in child cover worth P200,000 for children under 18 years of age, helping insure an entire family in a single plan.

Health Start Family also comes with a life insurance benefit, to help in taking care of your family’s needs in case of untimely demise. It also provides other value-added services such as free 24-hour medical teleconsultation, and mental health counselling through the Emma by AXA PH app.

Avail of Health Start through AXA’s trusted financial advisors. Visit axa.com.ph/healthstart to get you started today.