Positive Parenting Techniques

1. Trust and Respect your children
   1. Promote independence and privacy
   2. Respect your child's and spouse's feelings
   3. Believe your children
2. Provide emotional security
   1. Be gentle and dependable
   2. Make children feel safe expressing yourselves
3. Provide physical security
   1. Provide for basic needs (food, shelter, clothing)
   2. Teach hygiene and nutrition
   3. Maintain a family routine
4. Monitor safety and attend to injuries
5. Provide Discipline
   1. Be Consistent!
   2. Ensure rules and Discipline are age appropriate
      1. Time Outs for young children lacking self control
         1. Remove child from situation to quiet spot
         2. Use specified time (1 minute per year of age)
      2. Briefly exclude older child from family activity
         1. Child misbehaves at the dinner table
            1. Asked to leave the room until proper behavior
         2. Television or Computer privileges are withdrawn
   3. Be clear about limits
   4. Use Discipline to give instructions, not punishment
   5. Reinforce good behavior with smiles, hugs, praise
   6. Ignore undesired behaviors (whining or sulking)
6. Share adequate time with children
   1. Participate in activities at school and sports
   2. Include your children in your activities
   3. Support a child's interests, activities and learning
   4. Give affection freely and frequently
7. Care for yourself and your spouse
   1. Take personal time
   2. Keep yourself healthy