Parenting Tips

In a perfect world, you wouldn't need to worry about discipline, but all parents face situations that require intervention. The goal of discipline is to decrease the undesirable behaviors and increase the positive choices your child makes. Both reinforcement and punishment are ways to achieve that goal, but the methods have subtle differences that may make one better suited for your child.

Positive reinforcement is a discipline strategy that helps children learn socially appropriate behavior. Like children of all ages, toddlers seek approval from their caregivers. Your toddler is more likely to repeat good behavior when you reinforce it with praise or rewards. Providing positive attention also decreases the likelihood that your toddler will misbehave to get attention. Whether your toddler is using gentle touches while petting the dog or working hard to build a tower with blocks, reinforce these positive behaviors.

Children, like adults, enjoy attention. Children tend to continue a behavior that secures attention. Behavior that does not arouse a reaction or is ignored is likely to eventually fall by the wayside. The key to raising kids with who learn positive behavior is consistency in a parent's reactions to their choices. Children who don't receive positive reinforcement will act out in order to get some kind of attention. Parents should be proactive and engaging, demonstrating and rewarding the behaviors they want their children to learn.