There’s always a certain amount of danger when you start letting your kids walk to school alone, stay home alone, or go to their friends’ houses. Danger lurks everywhere, and children themselves are rather unpredictable; they may suddenly cross the street because something on the other side has caught their attention. The world has its […]
Mindful discipline
Aggressive parenting
Nobody ever thinks of themselves as aggressive parents, but some of the ways in which we react to our kids, consciously or unconsciously, may be described as aggressive parenting. Research has found that hostile parenting is associated with very many negative outcomes. Children raised in such families are more violent and aggressive[1], or they think […]
Four common misconceptions that make your discipline strategy ineffective
It isn’t always easy to decide what discipline strategy to use, and for what behavior, and it isn’t uncommon to doubt whether the consequences we choose for our kids’ behavior “make sense”. For many parents, adopting the right discipline approach is one of the hardest things in parenting. Numerous studies have shown that all kids […]
The Science of Ignoring Bad Behavior: How to Use It to Your Advantage
Children’s bad behavior can drive you up the wall. But what if the secret lay in ignoring that behavior? Several scientific studies suggest that ignoring misbehavior can help parents manage difficult behaviors and promote positive changes in their children’s behavior. While dealing with bad behavior can be challenging, it is a natural part of child […]
When your child’s behavior has nothing to do with you
Parenting is tricky business. It almost always feels like it’s our fault when our child’s behavior is disappointing. We almost always feel guilty when we’re unable to change everything that we view as inappropriate, as though parents should “just know what to do”. But here’s the thing: while parenting helps shape children’s behavior, there are […]