In this week's Practitioner's Digest,?we're spotlighting the profound impact of positive parenting on child development.
- Food for Thought If I could sum up the ethos of positive parenting in one sentence, it would be this: Get on their [the kid's] level. This principle covers everything from sitting on the floor and playing with them to listening and understanding how they see and feel about the world.?For example, instead of responding, "Stop being silly," when a child gets upset over something seemingly trivial, recognize that whatever triggered their emotions is a big deal to them. Respect and validate their feelings, make them feel heard and understood, and help them work through the problem to a satisfactory conclusion. It takes patience and practice, but it makes them feel valued, respected, and connected with you. (Plus, seeing the world through a child's eyes can be incredibly enlightening and fun.)
- Inspiring Quote “Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff.” — Catherine M. Wallace
- Free Science-based Tool Helping Children Set Healthy Boundaries. Everyone has different boundaries, including children—and understanding them is essential to keep little ones feeling safe. This fun exercise helps kids understand, identify, and clearly communicate their boundaries through an everyday childhood activity: drawing. [Link]
- Book Recommendation Unconditional Parenting - Alfie Kohn. While traditional parenting advice commonly focuses on getting kids to do as they're told, Kohn focuses on understanding and meeting children's needs. His refreshingly compassionate approach acknowledges children's inner worlds and builds trust so they learn to control themselves, making conditional parenting approaches (like punishment) unnecessary. [Link]
- A Question For Your Clients “When was the last time you struggled to know how to respond to your child?”. This question helps to identify the specific situations or interactions parents find challenging. You can then dig into the underlying beliefs or skill gaps and develop strategies to overcome them.
- Free Infographic
Thanks for reading. I'm curious, what's one positive parenting technique you've found effective?
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