Remember what discipline looked like when we were growing up?… Well, a lot has changed! There has been a parenting paradigm shift. Moving away from control to connection. 

In the 1950s, parents were advised not to ‘spoil’ infants by comforting them too much when they cried and to maintain strict obedience. Now we know better. Science confirms the current parenting shift away from punishment and behavior management toward becoming more connected and responsive to our children. We now understand that effective discipline is about children learning to make better and more responsible choices. 

What is your child trying to tell you? 

Although your child’s behavior may be challenging (and frustrating at times!), we need to try to understand "the why” behind it. 

Children may try to communicate their feelings with behaviors such as yelling, defiance, silliness, interrupting, crying, or hitting. These ‘difficult’ behaviors may often seem random and unpredictable, but they aren't when you understand the reason behind them. When we see challenging behaviors, we should be asking ourselves, “What is my child trying to communicate?” This will help shift our thinking… 

From: “My child is being difficult.” 

To: “My child is having a difficult time.”