Rule #1 - Be Patient
We need to be patient with ourselves and our children. Positive Discipline is focused on long-term results. I know from experience that focusing on the "quick fix" will cause frustration and create conflict. There are no shortcuts in parenting.
In her Positive Discipline Parenting Workbook, Dr. Jane Nelsen has an activity called "What Do You Want for Your Children?". Click Here to download a sample from the workbook. This activity will help you focus on the long-term results.
Rule #2 - Be Honest
I think it is important for us to be honest with our experiences. There is strength in numbers and by sharing our struggles we will be helping each other feel less alone. When we share our successes, we will be helping others find solutions.
Rule #3 - Mistakes Are Opportunities to Learn
We are going to make mistakes and our children are going to make mistakes. But it is important to look at our mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve. We are not striving to be perfect parents. The goal is to improve. Let's celebrate our mistakes!
Rule #4 - Have Fun
Let's have fun! Parenting can get overwhelming and sometimes you just need to laugh at the absurdity of it all. I hope this will be a place full of positive energy.
Rule #5 - There Are No Rules
Feel free to improvise. Just because we are going through the parenting tools in a particular order doesn't mean that you can't skip ahead if you need help with an issue at home. In fact, many of these tools work well together, so I would encourage you to read through them all on a regular basis. I think it will be helpful for us to focus on each of them for a week, but that doesn't mean we can't use the other tools at any time.
2 comments:
Sounds like a good plan so far!
It's not just for raising kids, but also for our own lives. I'm doing it with you together, and a few other moms in china :)
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