Good Parent Patrolby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 04 May 2009 06:19 AM Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking sites have changed the way the world communicates. Technology has also made it much easier to blow the whistle on bad parents. Just ask local law enforcement officers, who respond to dozens of calls per day from concerned strangers, who witness alleged acts of parental neglect and child abuse. Acts of bad parenting are well documented, and these days it typically takes a story like this to raise eyebrows. This sad fact disturbed folks in Kalamazoo, Michigan so much that they decided to take matters into their own hands. Kalamazoo County Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Council is trying to turn the attention away from bad parents and focus on the good ones. The local nonprofit group is training volunteers to reward good parenting techniques--in public. According to execs with the organization, if volunteers witness stellar parenting in public areas, they are trained to approach the mom or dad and present them with a magnet that says they've been caught in the act of positive parenting. The volunteers then encourage the good parent to keep up the great work before proceeding along their merry way. Don't laugh. Members of the Kalamazoo County Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Council are serious about their new program, and are hoping that other communities will follow suit with similar reward efforts. I must say it is a novel idea, especially in this day and age when people are highly judgmental and don't hesitate for a moment to call out alleged bad parenting techniques. Think about it. When was the last time a stranger approached you to compliment the way you treat your children? Some parents, who exhibit exceptional parenting don't even have their efforts recognized by their own mates, or other family members, so imagine how shocked they would be to receive a good parenting magnet. What do you make of Kalamazoo's new reward program? Related Articles: Confessions of a Reluctant Facebook Parent Parental Threat: Intention Good, Results Not So Much Be Glad You Aren't These Parents "Slumdog" Star's Crazy Father Beats Him What Happens When Your Own Mother Thinks You're an Abomination What NOT to do with Your Newborn Twins What Kind of Parents Take Their Kids Shopping on Black Friday?
Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantparenting tags User Comments  drnewmom (307) 04 May 2009 07:02 AMPositive reinforcement is a much stronger motivator than negative. Not that negative doesn't have its place in some situations...  Michele Cheplic |
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