Changing your child's environment

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Changing your child’s environment is a good idea if it means that it will change something that is causing stress or frustration. Changing the environment is also an option if it is more likely to bring about behaviour you are trying to encourage. So when you are confronted with a behaviour dilemma, consider how you can change the world around your child rather than your child’s behaviour.

Here are some examples of how a parent could change the environment to prevent or minimise the chance of problem behaviour occurring.

Modify your child’s physical environment

• Move fragile or expensive items out of reach of little fingers.
• Keep a baby in her cot for as long as possible to prevent early problems with getting out of bed.
• Place a child gate on the door of an older sibling’s room, so that the older child can have some time playing with her own toys undisturbed by a destructive baby.
• Place frequently used toys in a place that children can reach so that children don’t have to ask for your help. Similarly, put away toys that need adult guidance or assistance for times when you can be available.
• Help your child choose and put away toys she may be unwilling to share with a visitor.
• Ban television in the morning to reduce distractions while getting ready for school.
• Minimise time spent watching commercial television to reduce requests for junk food, or inappropriate activities or toys.
• Don't keep junk foods at home, so children won't be tempted to ask for them.
• Create a quiet, well-lit and inviting place to do homework.
• Choose an outside table at a restaurant – you will be less stressed and children's laughter, talking and moving around is less likely to cause discomfort to others.

Move your child or others

• Move a child to another bedroom to settle, when she won’t stop talking or playing with a sibling when she should be going to sleep.
• Have one parent sit between two children in the back seat of the car to prevent fighting on a long car drive.

Change the timing or scheduling of activities

• Complete homework in the morning when your child is fresh, rested and is not distracted by other more desirable activities.
• Encourage quiet, calming activities before bedtime.
• Get up earlier to reduce pressure and stress in the morning rush for school.
• Plan frequent breaks on a long car drive.

These are just examples, and by no means are they a complete list. Ways of changing the environment are limitless. To develop solutions, ask yourself how you could modify the physical environment, move the location of the activity, move the child or others, or change the scheduling or timing of the event.

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