Discipline is a dirty word in many households. There are so many techniques and theories always doing the rounds, leaving parents frustrated and confused by conflicting advice. When choosing a technique for resolving issues with your child, always use what works best for your own family.
“Think about it,” says parenting expert Dr Michele Borba, author of The Big Book of Parenting Solutions, “Kids aren’t born obnoxious, rude, defiant, bossy or selfish. They learn those behaviours. Then the behaviour helps them get what they want, so they continue using them.”
What we view as bad behaviour is a learnt response – and it can be unlearnt, she says.
1. POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
Cape Town clinical psychologist Jenny Perkel, author of Babies In Mind, says that children naturally don’t always do what we want them to do.
“They often prefer not to brush their teeth, and many of them would rather play than go to bed or get dressed for nursery chool.”
Jenny recommends, wherever possible, positive reinforcement as a way to bring young children “into line and get them
