I have a little boy sleeping in his crib with a new big boy haircut.
And this past weekend we officially entered into a new stage of parenting. Y'know the ones where you are (or at least I am) frantically reading every discipline book you can find and even making your husband watch 'Super Nanny'.
Overall, he is a good boy but I guess he got the 'You are turning two" memo so we are trying to figure out him and how we want to parent this stage.
It doesn't help that everyone I ask and every book I read says something different. One book teaches about the 'reward' system, then the next says how that same technique is instilling negative qualities in your children...(sigh)
I guess it's a little mix & match and a little trial & error.
That being said, I better get back to "Bringing up Boys". (good book by the way)
5 comments:
Awwwww... can we see a picture of Kellan's haircut? Cutiepie...
Good luck "trying to figure him out" - I love my kids, but just when I think I've found something that "works", all bets are off and we're back to square one. It's been getting much better, though. Lots of love showered on them - unconditional - is a massive motivator. I would agree that you shouldn't *reward* every positive behavior, but a child should know when he's done a good job or made good choices, and sometimes you do reward some exceptional milestones. Go with the flow - only YOU know how to best parent Kellan. Mix & match is right! You're doing a good job!!
*hugs*
Hi. I highly recommend the book 1-2-3 Magic. It discusses a very positive approach to discipline. We used it with our son and also use it at both of the schools we teach at. Enjoy the journey.
We're there with you! Let me know when you 'get' it... I'm completely lost! :o)
I agree with Melissa - lots of unconditional love and praise and understanding. My youngest of 3 sons is almost 15 now, and all of my sons are happy that they grew up in an atmosphere of understanding, rather than one with a lot of strict rules and discipline. That doesn't mean that our 2 year olds don't need lots of guidance and encouragement to act properly. I did use sticker charts when they little and we did have a time out area that wasn't used very often. I am only ashamed at the times when I lost my temper and yelled or spanked.
An author, educator, parent, counsellor, and smart guy who has really helped us (through books and seminars and a bit in person) as we're navigating the journey of raising our boys (and our friends with girls) is Dr. Gordon Neufeld. We've been sharing a video series of some of his talks with our care group and they are devouring it. Not as much of it fits for toddlers and preschoolers, but to get an understanding of how their minds, bodies and emotions develop has REALLY helped us keep everything in perspective. Just do a google search and you should find his website.
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