There are no good or bad words. There are times when we use yes and no without beating around the bush. If my child is seeking information, I generally answer them truthfully. If a child says, “Is Dad home?” This is a request for information. If Dad is not home, it is fine to say … Read More
Harness the Power of Time A stopwatch is an easy and cheap way to motivate kids and it can be a powerful weapon in your parenting arsenal. The idea is to motivate your child to beat the clock. The behavior is non-negotiable, but if they do it quickly they can get a prize. In order … Read More
Save Yelling For Emergencies Yelling can be defined as speaking with an increase in volume and emotional intensity. It is the easiest and most convenient way to get someone’s attention from far away. It is an effective way to warn someone of impending disaster. If we only yell to get our children’s attention or to … Read More
Why Correction Is Necessary There are many ways to motivate and train children that do not involve formal correction. Using discipline is often unpleasant for parents and children. Because it is unpleasant, we tend to avoid or procrastinate correcting poor behavior. We make excuses for our child (or ourselves) and hope that the bad behavior … Read More
Deciding to focus on a child’s good behaviors is the first step in positive parenting. The second step is developing a language of positivity. Encouraging adjectives will become an important part of your vocabulary. However, the most important word will not be an adjective, the key word is actually “and.” Why “And” Matters The purpose … Read More
All parents struggle with getting children to follow instructions. My own children can be particularly skilled at sporadic, voluntary, deafness. When children are ignoring you, it sometimes appears that they just did not hear what was said. As a first step to mutual understanding, begin by repeating the instructions in a pleasant (but louder) tone … Read More
Time-Out is a form of correction used to express parental displeasure and end unacceptable behavior. It reinforces the parent’s authority. Time-Out also gives the child the chance to calm down, get a hold of their emotions and reset themselves. Time-Out can be used with kids between the ages of 2 and 12. During Time-Out, the … Read More
Loss of Privilege (LOP) is a technique in which a parent removes a child’s ability to participate in a desired activity or takes away a specific item for a specific amount of time. This punishment is an excellent way to remind children that the parent is the one in charge and in control. This technique … Read More