Time-Out is Not Your Only Option: Positive Discipline for Every Child (that parents can feel good about)

By Dr Justin Coulson

What do you do to discipline your children when everything you've tried hasn't worked? Or when everything you've tried has left you feeling awful?

Time Out is NOT Your Only Option is an e-book with simple, quick, easy-to-understand-and-implement discipline strategies to make your parenting more peaceful and effective, and your discipline more likely to teach your children good ways to act.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483506739

Book preview

Contents

1 Introduction

2 Why most discipline strategies don’t work

3 Managing expectations

4 Make success the most likely outcome

5 Induction

6 Asking questions

7 See the World Through Your Child’s Eyes

8 Children and Perspective

9 Use Gentle Reminders

10 Do the Dance

11 Wrap Up

About the Author

1 Introduction

What do you think about rules, limits, and discipline?

Do you think that rules are there to be broken? Or at least stretched, pushed, questioned, and adapted? And when rules are stretched (or even ignored) do you shrug, smile, and feel pleased that your child is learning, or thinking for herself? Or perhaps you aren’t really that into rules at all.

If this sounds like you, chances are that you would fit comfortably into the free-range parenting mould, feeling it’s ok to be a little permissive (or a lot). After all, limits can be so stifling – and can get in the way of us becoming who we’re meant to be!

Do you chafe at the very thought that rules can be stretched, or not set at all? Do you, instead, feel as though children need clear boundaries, regular reminders about what behaviour is ok, and non-negotiable consequences when they transgress against those boundaries?

If this sounds like you, you’re possibly more aligned with the authoritarian parenting style. Rules, boundaries, and obedience matter a lot to you. You expect, and even demand, that children stick with the program. Quite often we see tiger-mums and tiger-dads in this arena, making sure that children adhere to the task at hand and complete every command with exactness.

Is there a ‘right way’ to raise a child?

There has been a common theme in the last few parenting books I’ve read. Authors have been at pains to point out that there is no ‘one right way’ to raise a child. You should just go with your gut, go with the flow, or be guided by your child.

I’m sorry, but I don’t buy it.

Going with your gut sounds fine until your gut is telling you to throttle that kid because she won’t tidy her room. Or your gut is making you churn because your son won’t put his things away.