In a child’s education an important factor is the parents’ expertise for this “job”. No one is born holding all the knowledge, but we can learn and understand some things from books or advice from qualified individuals. 

Here are 12 Commandments to help you along the way: 

1. Do not underestimate your child - he can understand more than you think he does and if you make him believe you think poorly of him this might affect his development. 
2. Don’t use threat - a child loves a challenge and once threatened he might probably go on and do what he wasn’t suppose to just to see if he can escape the punishment. 
3. Do not bribe your child - if you are trying to get him to learn for money for example, he will fail to understand the importance of learning, all he will get from this is the importance of money. 
4. Do not make a small child promise something - small children can’t hold promises so don’t force them to lie and then punish them because they did that. 
5. Do not keep them under a short leash - to grow up normally children need some space, some freedom. 
6. Do not use big words or too many words when you are talking to your child - keep your ideas simple and concise so he can understand every thing you have to say. 
7. Do not expect an immediate and blind obedience - it is not recommended, the child has to be learned to think for his own not to follow orders. 
8. Do not indulge him too mush - he can develop compartmental disorders. 
9. Do not compromise when it comes to the rules of a game - the trick for a game to become educative is too have its initial rules respected. 
10. Don’t impose rules that don’t go with the age of your child. 
11. Do not try to inflict quilt - quilt is not an appropriate feeling for children, especially if they are little. 
12. Don’t give your child orders that you don’t take seriously - your child will try to please you and giving him an order is drastic, and it becomes cruel if that order is a joke.

 All these “commandments” are addressed first to the parent. But they are to be referred to by teachers and educators as well. Along with the parents, they will settle upon an attitude and strategy for the education and growth of the child, so that they can give him all the things he needs to properly develop emotionally and physically.

Some parents mistakenly associate positive reinforcement with bribing. Giving a material reward for a certain action. In bribery, you promise something bigger and more valuable to achieve the behavior you want. You also tend to negotiate or beg. You may even increase the value of the prize. You try this in hopes to make sure that the behavior you wish is the end result.Giving a child verbal support or small tokens is a great idea. Doing this after they exhibit a certain behavior is not a bribe.

Other parents steer clear from positive reinforcers. They fear that they might spoil their child. It is far from spoiling if the reward given is equal to the positive behavior exhibited by the child. Material rewards do not need to be expensive. Small tokens like stickers or erasers are not expensive. Non-material reinforcers are also a great option. Try a hug, a wink, and a compliment for a job well done.

Remember to Play Your Part
There is no specific age at which to start using positive reinforcement. Children learn to relate rewards to their behavior after several similar events. Good deeds that are reinforced at an early age will become part of the child’s personality.

As children grow, their needs will differ in the same way that our expectations of them will. So, the reinforcers may change, but the general principle remains the same. The success of positive reinforcement greatly depends not on the child, but on the adult using it as a consistent approach.

When you use this approach successfully, it will be a win win situation. Positive reinforcement can develop a child’s basic impulse. It can provide children with some expectations of their behavior.