Practice Positive Discipline

Nighttime Parenting Isn’t Always Pretty

January 16, 2012

My first had always been a good sleeper. We co-slept through about 18 months or so, and when we moved, Little Man jumped right into his big-boy bed and that’s where he wanted to sleep. After I had my second child, we went through a phase where Little Man would wander into my bed in [...]

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The Man in The Yellow Hat Exemplifies Positive Discipline

December 12, 2011

A few of my parent friends have pointed out that as much as their kids enjoy watching the PBS show “Curious George”, George always gets into trouble (makes a mess, does something wrong, doesn’t stay where he’s supposed to, etc…) and nothing ever happens to him for it.  He never gets punished or has a [...]

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Reframing the Yes Environment

August 18, 2011

Many moms and dads have heard of the “Yes” environment before; it’s popular advice for parents of babies and toddlers.  When infants become mobile, we are advised to create an environment for them that is free of “No”s.  We baby proof everything; put small and dangerous objects out of reach, cover up safety hazards, lock [...]

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AP and Spanking Don’t Mix

July 27, 2011

Many parents, even many of those who are focused on creating a secure attachment with their child, spank as a form of discipline.  They may say things like… “I only spank when….” “I only spank after I’ve tried [XYZ] first.” “Spanking is OK when it’s done [a certain way], but not [a certain other way].” [...]

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Letter to that smart person with smart kids

June 24, 2011

Before anyone gets all paranoid, know that this goes for all ridiculously intelligent people with intelligent children. And know that I have astronomical standards for what constitutes plain ‘ol intelligent, much less ridiculously intelligent, so by nature, very few qualify. But if you do… I’m watching you. I’m making note of your every move. I’m [...]

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What is Misbehavior?

June 22, 2011

“Children don’t misbehave, they simply behave to get their needs met.” This quote comes from Dr. Thomas Gordon, but other psychologists and parent educators have said the same thing. Dr. Jane Nelsen devotes a whole section of her book, Positive Discipline, as well as lessons in her parenting classes to understanding children’s mistaken goals of [...]

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A Look at Your Discipline Style

May 19, 2011

I lead a meeting for the S. Austin Attachment Parenting chapter this morning on finding your discipline style. So often parents talk about what they don’t want to do: spank, shame, do what their parents did, etc. Figuring out what they do want to do is harder, especially when they didn’t have good models. Before [...]

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In a strange land…

May 17, 2011

Imagine you’ve just had some dental work done. Your deadened nerves make your mouth droop on one side. You’re drooling, but you don’t know you’re drooling because you can’t feel your face. Your tongue feels like it doesn’t quite fit in your mouth. And then, the phone rings. Someone’s calling about that job you’ve had [...]

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