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Parenting
Tip: Ending the Discipline Time Positively
Regular use of a Positive Conclusion in your parenting
will reduce the tension as well as teach children a better
response for next time.
The
day-to-day discipline of children often results in subtle
or even obvious tension in the parent/child relationship.
Children feel angry, guilty, or fearful and their parents
are often left with lingering
frustration. One helpful solution for both parent and child
is to have a debriefing after every discipline time. We call
it a Positive Conclusion.
During
the Positive Conclusion, talk about what went wrong, why it
was wrong, and what the child might do differently next time.
With younger
children you might simply develop a routine, asking them questions
in a gentle, non-accusing tone. With teens, a discussion is
often helpful covering the same issues.
This
kind of Positive Conclusion not only helps clear the air between
parent and child but it also helps children think rightly
about mistakes as they get older. Instead of self-condemnation,
a child learns to confess a mistake, determine why it was
wrong, and then plan a better response for next time.
Be
sure to end the Positive Conclusion with an affirmation like
"Okay, go ahead and try again."
This
Parenting Tip is from www.effectiveparenting.org
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