Have you heard the term “Positive Parenting” floating about the blogosphere and wondered to yourself, “What exactly does that phrase mean? I try to be positive as a parent! Don’t we all?”
Hopefully today’s post will make it clear what this approach and term really means and if it’s a style of parenting that you want to try.
Positive intentions are definitely the foundation of being a great parent. But as I’ve learned over the past 3 years, effective and confident parenting also takes a lot of skill and knowledge too. As I say in my biography, it’s one of the toughest jobs in the world – and also one of the most important.
As a Child Behaviour Therapist turned Elementary Teacher turned Stay-at-Home-Mom, I have always been fascinated with kids and their development into happy, healthy individuals.
As a therapist and teacher, I learned that the key to helping kids was to connect and get them on my side, but still struggled to find positive ways to manage difficult behaviours when they arose.
Since I have become a parent, I have discovered some amazing parenting experts and a body of parenting advice that is just not readily available in the educational world.
This knowledge has completely changed my mind-set about how to help kids cooperate, and become positive, happy and independent thinkers and doers.
In many circles this approach is referred to as Positive Parenting, but it is also referred to as Connection Parenting, Backbone Parenting, and Authoritative Parenting.
In all cases, it is a collection of skills and knowledge that create an approach to kids that treats them respectfully, as individuals, without the use of harsh punishments, bribes, or yelling. It has also been shown by research to be effective, in the short term and long-term, in growing happy, confident, and emotionally healthy kids.
Now, my child isn’t perfect, and neither am I as a parent, who is? The purpose of this new series is not to tell you how to be a good parent – I’m still learning too after all.
BUT since I started learning about these positive skills and started trying them with my son, I have become a much more confident and relaxed parent.
There are very few parenting situations that fluster me, or stress me out (Yes – even during my son’s meltdowns!). I know that I am responding to my son’s needs and behaviours in a way that will help him develop into a wonderful caring, and happy man, full of positive character.
My main goal in starting a new Positive Parenting blogging series, is to SHARE some of the skills and knowledge that I’ve learned.
It made a huge difference to me, and it might make a huge difference for you too.
Maybe you’re struggling to find a positive way for dealing with your child/children’s challenging behaviours, or maybe you’re just curious to learn some alternatives to time-outs and reward-systems. Maybe you’ve already heard of this approach, and just want more information.
I am hoping that this series will fill all those needs and more!
To organize the ideas (and to just make things fun!) – I decided to make this series an alphabetic journey. Each Saturday, for 26 weeks (minus Easter weekend – a girl’s gotta get a break sometime right?), you will find a new characteristic or aspect of positive parenting.
Posts will include: ways to build parenting skills, advice from positive parenting experts and authors, examples and practical ideas for raising kids, and links to helpful resources.
Here’s our complete roster of topics:
I truly hope you’ll join me on this exciting adventure!
The best way to make sure you don’t miss any of our upcoming posts, is to subscribe to my NEWSLETTER below. You will receive e-mail notification of new posts, as well as receive exclusive access to free printable resources and tips that you can’t get from the website alone.
You can also follow our Positive Parenting Pinterest board where all our posts will be added and where you will find all kinds of positive parenting resources from around the web!
Follow One Time Through’s board Positive Parenting (1-6 yrs) on Pinterest.
Oh, and I’m also on Facebook.
To a positive new adventure – I hope you’ll join me!
Yay Sue! Another A-Z series! Great idea and I’m looking forward to following along. Would love to read your tips on handling two year old tantrums and some other strategies other than the bribes (which is the technique working for us at the moment). All the best for a successful 2015 on your blog 🙂