Better behavior without punishment is possible. It takes commitment, connection and a focus on cooperation. Children naturally follow the guidance of those they trust. Children also want to learn and grow, especially when they feel connected to you. The alternatives to punishment you find in this section will focus on real solutions and learning tools, to help children feel more connected,  capable and cooperative.

Why take a positive approach to discipline and find alternatives to punishment? Studies show that children that are raised with inflexible, punishment based discipline have lower self-esteem and struggle with making good decisions on their own. The alternatives to punishment in this section are all aimed at helping you find the confidence you need when setting limits and boundaries. And keeping a loving, respectful, thriving relationship with your child.

Choosing The Path To Practicing Punishment Free Parenting

Choosing The Path To Practicing Punishment Free Parenting

My children have been punishment free for nearly two years now. Somewhere around five hundred days, it’s a long time. With three small children that are curious, active, spunky and growing, there have been plenty of opportunities to challenge myself, or rather ourselves, as my husband has been practicing punishment free parenting right along with…

7 Proven Ways To Prevent After School Meltdowns

7 Proven Ways To Prevent After School Meltdowns

Positive solutions for after school attitude, meltdowns and tantrums. Does your child  seem to have a bad attitude, or throw tantrums right after school? Meltdowns, difficult attitudes for the rest of the afternoon, homework refusal and defiance at home are quite normal in the weeks following the start of school. These meltdowns and bad moods…

How to correct your child’s ‘bad’ behaviour with positive parenting

How to correct your child’s ‘bad’ behaviour with positive parenting

Remind your child that you are their ally, you are on their side. Even when you are saying no or stopping unhelpful behaviours – show how much you care. When my son was four years old, he was sweet, funny and quite mischievous. Just a moment unsupervised and something was likely to get opened, spilled…

Six Super Helpful Ways To Keep Calm and Deal With Defiance

Six Super Helpful Ways To Keep Calm and Deal With Defiance

These Six Positive Parenting strategies can help you respond to your child when they are behaving in defiant, disrespectful or unhelpful ways. Children often act out when they are lost, fearful and in need of guidance. A child that is being defiant needs to reconnect with you and find his way back to calm. And until…

10 Playful Solutions For Morning & Evening Routines : Parents S.H.A.R.E

10 Playful Solutions For Morning & Evening Routines : Parents S.H.A.R.E

“Play is our brain’s favorite way of learning.” -Diane Ackerman In this Parents S.H.A.R.E. post, our positive parenting community is sharing how they have used play as a parenting tool when faced with a variety of challenges during the morning and evening routines, from races to singing silly songs here are many fun ideas!!

Why Timeouts Make Tantrums And Power Struggles Worse (And What To Do Instead)

Why Timeouts Make Tantrums And Power Struggles Worse (And What To Do Instead)

A parent wrote in recently asking why timeouts are making her daughters behavior worse instead of better. She shares: I have a 3 year old daughter that throws the biggest tantrums whenever i simply say no or disagree with her. She has picked up negative behaviors to calm herself. Such as slamming doors and using aggression….

How To Use Brainstorming To Encourage Your Child To Cooperate

How To Use Brainstorming To Encourage Your Child To Cooperate

When done well, brainstorming can create an atmosphere of cooperation in your home. It teaches kids to think critically about problems, consider the thoughts and feelings of others, and to explore a variety of solutions. Even at a young age, kids can create fantastic solutions to everyday problems and challenges if we give them the…

How to Discipline Children Effectively without Quick Hacks and Punishments

How to Discipline Children Effectively without Quick Hacks and Punishments

Quick and clever discipline hacks tend to fail or make unwanted behaviors even worse. Discover here better, more effective and developmentally appropriate ways to discipline your child. Counting methods, sticker charts, automatic timers, fuzzy pom-poms and rubber bands…good discipline? These are some of the popular recommendations for dealing with misbehavior. If you tried all the…

Discipline for Young Children: 12 Alternatives to Time Outs

Discipline for Young Children: 12 Alternatives to Time Outs

Here are twelve alternatives to time outs that give parents and children a chance to address choices and situations with the intention to offer guidance while maintaining a positive, respectful and peaceful connection. These alternatives are mostly geared towards children aged 1 to 6 years but also work well beyond that too.

How to Discipline when your Child Tells Tall-Tales, Fibs and Lies

How to Discipline when your Child Tells Tall-Tales, Fibs and Lies

Understanding why children tell lies and how to discipline in a way that fosters honesty and healthy development. “My room was full of flying dragons last night, they knocked over the books, not me!” Children often tell fibs, stretch a tale and blame mysterious creatures for misbehaviour. Lying, is actually a sign of intelligence. While…

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