Sunday was my first time experiencing the Birth and Baby Fair from the other side of the table. I really enjoyed seeing all the glowing faces of expectant mothers and the tired, but content faces of the newborn parents. It was also fun to see lots of toddlers and children enjoying the atmosphere, time with their parents (and sneaking a few treats from the candy bowls along the way). It was a pleasure to be a part of a community with so many great resources for parents. As I am often told by my parents' generation, we are lucky to be parenting now with so many resources and supports available.
The day was especially exciting for me since I had the honor of presenting a workshop - Discipline 101. Thank you to all those who attended. It is one of my favorite workshops to present. I enjoy speaking to parents about their parenting philosphy and calming their anxiety (hopefully) about when and how to discipline. Over the years I have compiled a list of basic parenting principles that promote positive parent-child relationships in addition to providing a solid foundation for effective discipline. It is with some of these very basic principles that we are often able to prevent and squelch challenging behaviors, sometimes eliminating the need for fancy techniques, tools, or tricks. Let's get back to the basics:
1. Be Consistent (if you read my blog you have heard this before!)
2. Model the behavior you want to see in your child.
3. Stay calm (take as many deep breaths as you need to!)
4. Acknowledge your child's feelings
5. Teach them to communicate needs/feelings
6. Prepare children for transitions and changes in routine
7. Prevention: a well-fed, well-rested child with lots of positive parental attention is less likely to misbehave.
8. PLAY with your child EVERYDAY! (even if it is for 10 minutes) 9. Redirect/Distract child to shift mood/change behavior
10. Be Playful: create games and sing sons to encourage cooperation.
The day was especially exciting for me since I had the honor of presenting a workshop - Discipline 101. Thank you to all those who attended. It is one of my favorite workshops to present. I enjoy speaking to parents about their parenting philosphy and calming their anxiety (hopefully) about when and how to discipline. Over the years I have compiled a list of basic parenting principles that promote positive parent-child relationships in addition to providing a solid foundation for effective discipline. It is with some of these very basic principles that we are often able to prevent and squelch challenging behaviors, sometimes eliminating the need for fancy techniques, tools, or tricks. Let's get back to the basics:
1. Be Consistent (if you read my blog you have heard this before!)
2. Model the behavior you want to see in your child.
3. Stay calm (take as many deep breaths as you need to!)
4. Acknowledge your child's feelings
5. Teach them to communicate needs/feelings
6. Prepare children for transitions and changes in routine
7. Prevention: a well-fed, well-rested child with lots of positive parental attention is less likely to misbehave.
8. PLAY with your child EVERYDAY! (even if it is for 10 minutes) 9. Redirect/Distract child to shift mood/change behavior
10. Be Playful: create games and sing sons to encourage cooperation.
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