Parenting QA: What is Positive Parenting?
03/23/2012 | 09:07 PM
Q:
What is Positive Parenting about and do you have any general guidelines for practicing it?
A:
Positive parenting is about building connections and empathy as a parent and trying to step back and empower our children to become confident and empowered adults. It starts with a focus on praise rather than punishment but does not mean that there is not discipline or boundaries. I think one of the easiest ways to start a positive parenting approach is to begin with communication - examine how you speak to your children - not just the words (for example, are you always saying "no" instead of offering suggestions on things you can say "yes" to?) but also your tone, whether or not you speak on their level or with eye contact (you may need to sit or crouch down to talk to a young child directly), and what level of input you encourage. A great resource for more information and tools is www.positivediscipline.com.
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