“Positive Parenting”

June 12, 2018 /

The Bump featured a great article recently about positive parenting which I recommend you can read here.

This is something I love and have been trying to explain to people for years, although we call it logical consequences. It doesn’t mean I let my kids get away with or do whatever they want! It’s simply putting a positive spin on a negative reminder. So instead of screaming “don’t hit the hammer on the window!!!” I give them something they CAN do like “let’s bang on the nail instead of the window” or “why don’t we use that hammer to fix the rocking horse instead!” Using language or modeling gestures as appropriate to their level of understanding. Many behaviors – especially at this age – often are simply about not knowing what to do. In giving them something they can do and enjoying it together you create a much more enjoyable experience that they can return to again and again as opposed to just feeling that they made you angry.

 

Logical consequences also incorporates responsibility for what they’ve done wrong rather than a random punishment. So if my kid colors on the table (or the wall, glad we haven’t gotten there yet!) instead of taking away their cookie I’ll give them a wipe and have them help me clean it up. If they throw all their books around in a tantrum they’ll help put them back on the shelf once they’ve calmed down. Even my one year old is capable of some clean up and will help put things back on the table or in a box. It’s just a matter of setting those boundaries without having to resort to seemingly random punishments or threats of taking away their favorite toy.

 

Personally I love this technique and have found it very useful with my three, but would love to hear from you all! What are some of your favorite parenting strategies?

 

 

 

Road Tripping with Babies 101
Lunch

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