If you’ve had to discipline the same behavior several times, it is time to start coaching. Coaching is teaching your child about better behaviors, and it’s focused on what you want them to do. For this to be most effective, coaching should be engaging and fun. There are so many ways to shape behaviors, but … Continue reading 12 Ways to Coach Good Behaviors
Young children grabbing toys from each other is a common exchange. If your child grabs toys often, it’s good to be prepared. There are ways to best address this behavior before, during and after it happens. While I wouldn’t expect a parent to use all of the ideas below at once, some combination of several … Continue reading Discipline Language for Grabbing Toys
Realizing your children may have too many toys is a common occurrence this time of year. It may be that grandparents over delivered at the holidays. It may be that your child has only opened half their presents and are already complaining that they are bored. Whatever the reason, here are a few good answers: Storage … Continue reading Too Many Toys?
I’ve found another family mantra, bloom where you are planted. We’ve been discussing this one with our girls all week. We’ve touched on this over the years, but this week it hit home when we went on vacation with a few other families. This vacation included a day at a low-key amusement park, a dinner show, … Continue reading Bloom Where You Are Planted
There is a golden rule in discipline when you are parenting as a couple. It is simple, whoever starts it gets to finish. This means if the first parent is into a discipline exchange, as long as it’s not abusive, the second parent avoids intervening, correcting the first, rescuing the child, taking over or undermining in any way. … Continue reading In Discipline: Whoever Starts It Gets to Finish
Dear Dr. Rene, My son, who is almost three and is quite verbal, just told us that his daycare provider hit him. It sounds as though she hit him during nap time when he was “moving around too much.” He said it hurt him, and he didn’t like her. The comment was unprovoked, and came … Continue reading Child Says Caregiver Hit Him
Dear Dr. Rene, We are going to the beach this Friday with two other families. 11 kids, ranging in age from 14 to two-and-a-half. Megan, my youngest is two-and-a-half years old. The next youngest is six, and all of the older kids can already swim well. The house has a pool, and I’m scared to death about … Continue reading Vacation Pool Safety
When offering choices in discipline, the goal is to offer two positive choices for the child that both meet your goal in parenting. These choices can focus on the how, what, when or where. Let’s say you need to have the playroom cleaned up. Offering choices about how could include, “would you like to start … Continue reading How Choices Work in Positive Discipline
The theme this week is working through problem solving with your children. Our third guideline is ‘corrections shouldn’t feel like corrections.’ This guideline is easier to follow with younger children. When a two-year-old says, “I need a ram-baid,” we don’t tend to correct in a heavy way such as, “no, you said that wrong! It … Continue reading Corrections Shouldn’t Feel Like Corrections
Continuing the theme of helping children become independent problem solvers, give hints and suggestions not outright answers. A few examples: When your first graders asks, “mommy, how do you spell elephant?” Avoid spelling it for them. Give hints and suggestions for how they can spell it. You might offer to help them learn to look … Continue reading Give Hints and Suggestions Not Answers
Parenting by Dr. Rene 