I have been writing about gentle parenting for quite some time. Positive discipline strategies are just another continuation of the series. After all I believe parenting is all about promoting positivity. It is about instilling positive behaviour in your kids. In the journey of respectful and gentle parenting, you will find positive discipline strategies and the best partner. They not only improve your kids’ learning process but also reduce the probability of disruptive behaviour in your children.
This blog explains the whole concept of positive discipline strategies. It gives a proper understanding of the five types of PDS. For a parent, it’s a good read no doubt.
What is Positive Discipline
The core of positive discipline is affection and compassion. Quite similar to gentle parenting, positive discipline is based on empathy and guidance. The basic purpose of positive discipline is a strong parent-child relationship.
Instead of detention, it focuses on attention.
The concept of positive discipline is not just limited to parenting. It is a major area of study in the teaching sector as well. Teachers in school use positive discipline strategies to direct their student’s behaviour.
Five Types of Positive Discipline Strategies?
There are five strategies for fostering positive discipline among children. In this section, we shall shed light on each of them.
Positive Reinforcement
I remember as a kid what mattered to me most was motivation and appreciation. The last time I made a parrot drawing for my mum she loved it. It motivated me to draw and paint for her.
Once I heard my mother saying to someone that my daughter never lies. This motivated me to always be straight and truthful in all matters of my life. This is how much positive reinforcement matters.
This is what positive reinforcement is.
Appreciate your child for whatever good he does. Motivating your child so that he or she repeats the behaviour. Acknowledge your child and reward him or her whenever he or she does something good.
Whenever I got good grades in my class, my mother patted me on my pack. I still remember how I would feel. A current of power, confidence and motivation would run into my body. I would feel happy, but I don’t know how long it will take.
As parents, we might not realize how much difference our words and actions make to our children. We should remember this as a child. This would help us understand our kid’s emotions more.
Setting Clear Boundaries
Setting clear boundaries is not just important in a parent-child relationship. It has equal importance in all relationships. Why setting clear boundaries is an important strategy for teaching positive discipline? Read below
When children know the boundaries set for them it becomes easy for them to identify acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Make your child part of the boundary-setting process. For example, I have taught my kids to understand that I don’t tolerate lying. We have made it clear among ourselves that neither I lie to them nor they lie to me.
Making children part of the boundary-setting process will make them feel mature and responsible.
Encourage Communication
Similar to setting clear boundaries, open and clear communication is also an important part of every human relationship. It is through open communication that everybody knows their boundaries. In the case of positive discipline, parents should set up a comfortable environment for children. They should always feel easy and comfortable sharing everything with their parents.
As a child, my favourite part of my childhood was telling my mother’s school stories when I was back from school. It is a norm in my home to ask my kids “How was your day at school? When they come back. Although most of the time the reply is the same i.e
IT WAS FUN
Yet I never forget to ask them every day and I love the same reply.
Swapping Time outs with Time Ins’
As part of positive discipline strategies parents should never give a timeout to their kids. Remember isolating your kids can never teach them anything. It would only make them emotionally vulnerable. They will feel less loved.
The best positive discipline strategy is to give time to your children. Instead of isolating them, consider the emotionally vulnerable moments to be an opportunity to spend time and explore your kid’s emotions.
KIDS SHOULD KNOW THAT IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES THEIR PARENTS ARE WITH THEM
Positive discipline teaches you to sit with your child and discover what led to the behaviour. This would strengthen the emotional bond between you and your kid.
Redirection
Redirection really works. Let me tell you my personal experience. I often talk about my middle son who has been a very tricky child. You do not even know what pissed him off and he would give himself and me an emotional breakdown.
So as he and I both got mature I started redirecting him. So whenever something wild pisses him off I would immediately start mentioning his favorite things. For example, I would ask do you want a big chocolate?
What about going for a drive with Baba?
Would you like to go to a theme park?
And he would immediately get distracted and say YES!
My Two Cents
Honestly writing about positive discipline strategies was a pleasant learning experience for me as a parent as well. You get to learn so much from teaching your children. The more positivity you will foster and encourage in your parent-child relationship the stronger it will become.
I don’t think there is much left to say afterwards.
LOVE