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… Continue Reading

What To Do When Your Discipline Strategy Stops Working

What To Do When Your Discipline Strategy Stops Working

I’ve tried it all! I’ve done gold star rewards. I have tried fun prizes as bribes. We’ve done fun fuzzy pom-pom jars. And lots of yelling. Begging. Taking away screens, sweets and toys. Everything works for about two days. if I’m lucky a week.  And then we are back to square one. I’m tired. And my kids…

Helping Your Toddler Self Regulate and Learn to Manage Anger and Aggression

Helping Your Toddler Self Regulate and Learn to Manage Anger and Aggression

Inside: Understand the feelings behind aggressive behaviors and help your toddler manage big meltdowns and fits of anger. On a sunny, beautiful morning, Mariah was on the floor, in a pile of tears. Her little hands stretched wide reaching desperately for Jenny. More accurately, reaching for the apple and egg in Jenny’s hands. Because for…

Toddlers making Trouble:  11 Helpful Alternatives to Timeout

Toddlers making Trouble: 11 Helpful Alternatives to Timeout

Toddlers don’t really mean to be making trouble, they spend their days trying to understand and discover their environment, their place and space in the world.
Often, it’s hard to know how to best handle the messy, sassy, yucky situations. Time outs are so popular in the toddler years, yet just placing a toddler in the corner or on a naughty chair is unlikely to prevent a re-occurance as toddlers will not really learn by pouting all alone

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 I Helped My Son Understand His Misbehavior Without Relying on Punishments

How I Helped My Son Understand His Misbehavior Without Relying on Punishments

When my son was four,  I took him on a day trip to sled and play in the snow.  It was a beautiful cold yet sunny day.  Up on a mountain,  with the alps in the background we climbed up and sled down a hill some 25 times in a row. When I was a feeling…

Time Out vs. Time In: What’s the difference?

Time Out vs. Time In: What’s the difference?

What is the difference between a time out and time in? Is one better than the other? Sometimes positive discipline tools can seem similar to the traditional discipline tactics. Often people say it’s just semantics.  What sets the positive tools apart from punitive discipline is not only the way in which they are presented to…

Why Preschoolers Know Much Better Than They Behave

Why Preschoolers Know Much Better Than They Behave

Discover five discipline strategies for preschoolers you can count on.  Parents are routinely confused when their preschooler (aged 2 to 5) promises they won’t hit or scream only to turn around and hit or scream again. Part of the problem is young children don’t think twice nor contemplate the consequences of their actions in the…

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…

How to Discipline Through Connection Using Your Child’s Love Language

How to Discipline Through Connection Using Your Child’s Love Language

My arms were still sore from scrubbing the dark streaks of marker my toddler had happily scribbled, off our porous pine dining table. I turned toward my oldest daughter. “I just told you not to leave your special (read; nonwashable) markers out where your little brother can reach them!” Had I been talking to a…

Positive Discipline for Attention Seeking Behaviors

Positive Discipline for Attention Seeking Behaviors

You’re feeling annoyed. Your child keeps bothering you with the same behavior. “Stop!” you huff for the tenth time, but it happens again. Why can’t my child just listen to me, you think. You’re confused as to the reason your child would continue to do something over and over again when you’ve made it clear that…

Follow Us

Copyright Notice: It is not permitted to copy, re-blog or distribute contents without prior written permission from the Positive Parenting Connection.