What is the Positive Parenting Approach?

Parenting is not an easy job. It requires patience, dedication, and the right approach that can help your child grow into a healthy and independent individual. Positive parenting is widely considered to be one of the best methods of parenting. It promotes understanding and being actively involved in your child's everyday life.

In the end, it can result in a much stronger bond between parents and children while correcting unwanted behavior. So, what are the main principles, and what can you do to introduce positive discipline into your relationship with your child?

Today, all the best early learning centers in Sydney rely on some form of positive discipline techniques to raise their young students. The same goes for the MindChamps early learning center in Penrith, where positive discipline plays a vital role. It is the foundation of all relationships in the center, both between students themselves and between students and teachers.

But what is positive discipline, anyway?

Well, it can best be summarized as an approach that focuses on promoting positive behavior but in a way that puts calmness, kindness, and encouragement first.

Of course, some level of firmness also has to be present. Reinforcements and punishments (both positive and negative from a psychological standpoint) are still present, but they are deployed respectfully.

Why positive discipline?

Positive discipline is recommended because you're approaching your child seriously and calmly. Therefore, they will feel that you are giving genuine attention to them. That is beneficial in several ways. For instance, they will develop respect for you and be able to connect with you more easily.

Think about it.

Even you will like a person who takes your problems seriously and shows a willingness to help you. Creating this kind of relationship with your child also helps a lot in the long run. Not only will they feel closer to you, but they will also be much more willing to think about future actions and the consequences they might have.

But do be aware that for this to work, there have to be articulated rules in place. And these rules have to be respected both by the children AND by the adults.

In a sense, you are treating them as equals. You won't do that on every occasion, but if you feel that something is bothering them, you should approach that problem seriously and with respect.

What can you do as a parent?

Well, there are plenty of positive discipline parenting tools you can use yourself to teach your child certain lessons. Just remember to be patient and kind.

For example, when they succeed at something, try to encourage the process that led to that outcome, not the outcome itself. Tell them that they worked hard and that they deserved the result, but don't just praise the fact that they've succeeded.

Praise and encouragement are two very different things.

An important aspect of this approach is that children be allowed to experience the consequences of their actions, especially when they do not do what is expected of them. Just make sure that you clearly define what their task is first.

If they forget to pack something they would very much like to have with them, don't drop what you're doing and bring that to them. Let them handle themselves without it, and next time they won't forget.

One of the easiest positive discipline parenting tools you can deploy is the so-called positive time out. Now, we all know what the standard time out means: “Go to your room and think about what you've done!” or something along those lines.

Positive time out invites children to sit down and compose themselves when they're having a bad moment, but not as a form of punishment. It's a time to reflect on the situation and find the root of the problem.

A basis for teaching methods

Positive discipline is at the core of the MindChamps curriculum and the way their early learning centers operate. Every Champ needs to be self-reflective, a life-long learner, compassionate, and able to value constructive feedback.

All of this can be achieved by implementing positive discipline techniques. You will be talking calmly but seriously to them, and they will be able to analyze the situation more clearly than if they are fuming because they are being punished.

Respect is quickly developed this way, which is one of the central values MindChamps' program is based on. And through respect, firm social bonds are formed, and a child will learn to care for others and cooperate with them this way.