Positive Parenting

As parents, it is easy to focus on the behaviors we don’t want from our children—in fact, for many of us, nagging quickly becomes a destructive habit that often backfires. To help promote your child’s positive behavior, it’s essential to focus on and reward what they’re doing right.

Activity Instructions:

Choose a day during the week and commit to only focusing on good behavior you want from your child, not the behavior you do not want. Comment only on the good things you see your child doing, instead of pointing out what she could or should do differently.

If you observe a negative behavior and feel the need to correct it, do so in a positive manner. Rather than saying, “Don’t leave your clothes lying around!”, instead say “I appreciate you helping me by picking up your clothes” or “Oh, I see some clothes on the floor.” When she adopts the positive behavior, be sure to give her accolades, such as “I feel appreciated when you help me around the house…thank you.”

You can also reinforce this activity with a behavior chart, or with the online points system Each time your child uses one of the good behaviors you want, reward them with a point. Set up fun rewards they can "buy" with their points.

Outcome:

This activity can lead to more peace and harmony at home. By using positive parenting strategies, you’ll encourage your child to behave more appropriately, simply because it feels good to receive praise.