Parents

Every parent and teacher should have these Positive Discipline Guidelines in their home or classroom.

Click Here to Download 7 Easy Ways to Connect with Kids Infographic. Versión en español

Connection is one of the first tools we present because it is foundational to every other tool. No one (parent or child) can be at his or her best until the feeling of connection is established.

Recently I was asked why children need routine charts when adults don’t need them. I pointed out that many adults create lists to help them keep track of what they want to do during the day, week, or month—and feel such a sense of accomplishment when they get to cross things off their lists. Many create goals and write them down to increase the effectiveness of their resolve. Others carry day planners to keep track of their appointments.

There is a belief behind every behavior, but we usually only deal with the behavior. Dealing with the belief behind the behavior does not mean you don't deal with the behavior. You are most effective when you are aware of both the behavior and the belief behind it.

We now have over 10,000 Certified Positive Discipline Facilitators teaching classes in many areas of the United States and in over 80 countries. Still, we have many requests from parents who cannot find a Positive Discipline Class in their area.

Many people have participated in the 52 Positive Discipline Tools in 52 Weeks challenge. All of these Positive Discipline tools are amazing, but it can be overwhelming to try and apply them all at once. Taking the challenge of applying one Positive Discipline Tool each week is a great way to stay focused on improving your relationship with your children.

Rudolf Dreikurs taught, “A child needs encouragement like a plant needs water.” In other words, encouragement is essential. Children may not die without encouragement, but they certainly wither. Since encouragement is so essential, it would be good for parents to know exactly what encouragement means and how to do it. Let’s start with what encouragement is not.

When I was growing up, I didn’t know that anger is just a feeling. To me anger meant withdrawal of love. My mother didn’t tell me she was angry. She just wouldn’t speak to me for days. However, she did “speak” loud and clear with the look of disgust and disapproval on her face whenever she looked at me during those days of silence . My childlike mind twisted that to mean that people would stop loving me if I got angry.

Try a silent (secret) signal. (Kids love the secret part—especially when they have helped create it.) Creating silent signals can be part of “taking time for training” (another great tool card).

Children under the age of three do not understand “no” in the way most parents think they do. (And a full understanding of “no” doesn’t occur magically when the child turns three. It is a developmental process.) “No” is an abstract concept that is in direct opposition to the developmental need of young children to explore their world and to develop their sense of autonomy and initiative.