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More Toddler Discipline Part I

There was a time in my son’s early toddlerhood that the threat of a time out in the corner was enough motivation to help keep my son’s behavior in check. When he did act out in such a way that warranted a time out, he took his punishment well without much protest or defiance. Recently, using time outs as a way to curb his bad behavior has become quite ineffective. Instead of going in the corner and waiting quietly for his two minutes to pass, he now whines, hits and kicks, will not stay, or will not be quiet. Instead … Continue reading →

Harsh Physical Punishment Increases the Risk of Mental Illness

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A study shows that children who receive harsh physical punishment are at an increased risk of mental disorders. This includes physical punishment that is not considered to be abuse by some. Parents who want to avoid the risk of their child developing a mental illness should select punishment that is not physical in nature. How do you discipline your child? Some parents believe that it is acceptable to use physical punishment on their children. Others select more effective, and less harsh, means of discipline, such as a “time out”. A “time out” can be effective, when done correctly, with younger … Continue reading →

Four Time Out Tips For Toddlers

Most parents are familiar with the concept of using time out as a tool for disciplining their children. The concept is simple enough – when your child misbehaves, he or she is immediately asked to go to a predetermined location and sit there quietly for a specific amount of time. As simple as time out seems, sometimes even well meaning parents use this discipline tool in an ineffective way. Since time out is a valuable tool for shaping behavior, here are some hints and tips for maximizing its effectiveness for your toddler: 1. Begin using time outs sooner, rather than … Continue reading →

1-2-3 Magic – Effective Discipline for Children 2-12 – Thomas W. Phelan, Ph.D.

My house gets a little crazy at times. With four strong-willed children, I can go nuts in about thirty seconds flat. Reading “1-2-3 Magic” by Thomas W. Phelan has given me some new direction, and even some new hope, in disciplining my children. I confess I tend to be a lecturer. When one of my children misbehaves, I think if I explain to them why their action was inappropriate, they’ll understand and want to do better. Dr. Phelan explains why this isn’t true. Children aren’t fully able to grasp the implications of their actions, and even when it’s explained to … Continue reading →

Is Your Method of Discipline Working?

Don’t feel like your method of disciplining is working? Relax, you’re not alone. According to a recent poll, many parents also feel that their method of discipline is not working on their kids. Researchers from Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, polled more than 2,000 parents of children between the ages of 2 and 11. They focused on four common discipline techniques: time-out, removing privileges, yelling and spanking. The research appears in the January issue of Clinical Pediatrics. Here’s a few of the highlights from the study: Over 42 % of the parents surveyed reported time-out as their method of discipline. 42% … Continue reading →

Should You Discipline Other People’s Children?

Should a parent discipline other people’s children? According to a Parenting/AOL Mom Debate poll, 67% of more than 150,000 respondents said it’s okay to do so. When I was a kid it was a given that any older adult in our neighborhood would chastise us kids for doing wrong. Not so much today. I think people are generally afraid of possible repercussions. There have been many times when I have wanted to say something to a kid who was doing something they should not have been doing but kept my mouth shut. Kids today are so quick to tell you … Continue reading →

Disciplining Your Kids

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A lot of parents assume that when someone talks about disciplining their kids that they mean spanking. Spanking is only one alternative in a whole arsenal of options for parents. Parents have time-out for younger children. Older children can go to their rooms, have the privileges taken away, and the ever popular grounding from outside, or from certain activities (which sounds a lot like removing privileges). These discipline techniques are all external. By that I mean that these are consequences that a parent imposes on the child as an external measure, while the parent hopes that the child will internalize … Continue reading →

WATCH IT! Help Your Child with Time Management

Do you constantly have to remind your child of the daily schedule? Do you make agreements, like “Fifteen more minutes of TV,” and then deal with a horrible tantrum when the time is up? Does your child need help staying on track with homework? Would you like to help your son or daughter develop a sense of independence and responsibility? Everybody Get In Sync! I recently heard about a private school that was instilling personal accountability and time management in their students. What they did was issue a particular style of wristwatch to each and every child from age four … Continue reading →

Learning to De-Escalate Emotional Situations With Children

My eight year old daughter, has been attending a special Psychiatric Day Treatment program for emotionally disturbed children for a year now. My four year old son started attending a few months ago. This program has been wonderful for our family and for our children. Along with the therapy and treatment the children receive parents have access to a number of helpful services as well. One of these services has been a weekly parent support group where I have learned some wonderful skills to help me parent emotionally disturbed children. I am sure most of these skills would apply to … Continue reading →