Parenting 101
What is Positive Discipline? Positive Discipline can be described as a parenting style that focuses on building autonomy, using natural consequences, choices, firm boundaries, and kind words. Research has shows that children do best when they feel connected to others within the context of secure relationships. In parenting, the concept of connection before correction, has the best outcomes for emotion regulation, social development, and self-esteem.
Positive discipline is a method of parenting that teaches children responsibility, self-discipline, problem-solving skills and cooperation. Overall Positive Discipline has proven benefits and speaks to the following:
· Is respectful to both children and adults
· Builds trust and strengthens relationships
· Helps with brain development
· Builds and maintains self-esteem
· Teaches children how to manage their emotions
· Teaches children to deal with stress in healthy ways
· Helps children develop a sense of significance
· Helps children develop an understanding of influencing outcomes
Parents who use kind words and firm boundaries are supporting their children to learn life skills, and are encouraging self-respect, self-discipline, cooperation, good behaviour, and problem-solving skills. Children are hardwired from birth to connect with others. When your child feels a sense of connection to their community, family, and school they are more likely to achieve overall well-being and success.
Tools and Strategies for Positive Discipline
1. Positive Disciple is kind and firm at the same time. It is respectful and encouraging.
2. Positive Disciple helps children feel a sense of belonging, significance, and connection.
3. Positive Disciple is effective long-term. Punishment works in the short term, but has negative long term effects.
4. Positive Disciple teaches valuable social and life skills. In the long run positive disciple teaches children to have respect and concern for others. Children also learn problem-solving skills, accountability, contribution, and cooperation.
5. Positive Disciple invites children to discover how capable they are and to use their personal power in constructive ways. Children learn that they have agency and personal autonomy.
Creative Sky Psychology utilizes the concepts of Positive Disciple to support the healthy growth of children and to support parents in a guiding and helpful manner.
The Tools and Concepts of Positive Discipline Include:
Mutual respect: Adults model firmness by respecting themselves and the needs of the situation, while using kindness by respecting the needs of the child.
Identifying the belief behind the behavior: Effective discipline recognizes the reasons behind what kids do and works to change those beliefs, rather than merely attempting to change behavior.
Positive Disciple supports parents and children to have effective communication and problem solving skills.
Positive Disciple supports discipline that teaches life lessons. Positive Disciple is neither permissive nor punitive.
Positive Disciple is helpful for solution building as it focuses on both solutions and outcomes instead of punishment.
Positive Disciple involves supportive dialogue and encouragement (instead of praise). Encouragement notices effort and improvement, not just success, and builds long-term self-esteem and empowerment.
Child and Teen Psychologists at Creative Sky Psychology use the principles and tools from Positive Discipline to support parents to work with their children and teens in a collaborative manner. We believe that parents know their children best, and we whole heartedly follow parent lead. We use Positive Discipline to guide parents in areas of challenge, while keeping parent goals in mind. For additional information visit:
https://www.creativeskypsychology.com/parent-therapy
