Better options than spanking

April 30th is SpankOut Day USA. "SpankOut Day USA" was initiated in 1998 to give widespread attention to the need to end corporal punishment of children and to promote non-violent ways of teaching children appropriate behavior.

While it is very important for parents to set limits with their children, it should be done in a way that helps children learn from their mistakes without hitting or spanking. Parents who want to learn effective ways to set limits with their kids and respond to misbehavior without resorting spanking can now take an online parenting class for ages 5 and under .

It is time for all children to be treated with respect and dignity, even when they’ve made a mistake.

Just say yes!

Toddlers often learn "no" as one of their first words as this video demonstrates: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_utET7TCMQ

You will get a more positive response from your children if you can turn a "no" into a "yes". You can do this by stating the circumstances under which the request will be granted. Below are some examples of saying both no and yes to a request.

"Can I have a cookie?"

• "No, it’s almost dinner time."


• "Yes, after dinner you can have a cookie."

"Can we get a dog?"

• "No, we’re not getting a dog."


• "Yes, when you move out and have your own house, you can have a dog."

"Can I go over to Sam’s house?"

• "No, you need to get your homework done."


• "Yes, feel free to go to Sam’s house just as soon as your homework is done."

Look for opportunities to say yes rather than no to your child this week!

Pitching a fit in the store

This European commercial does a great job showing the type of behavior all parents dread. When dad doesn't jump in to set limits with his son, things quickly escalate. What would you have done differently in this situation?

Welcome

Welcome to the Priceless Parenting blog! I’ll be sharing real-life parenting challenges along with ideas for dealing with those challenges. I hope you will participate by offering your ideas/comments or sending me parenting challenges that you would like me to address (Kathy.Slattengren @ PricelessParenting.com).

If you are interested in learning to set limits with your children and effectively deal with misbehavior without hitting or yelling, you can take the Priceless Parenting course ( http://www.PricelessParenting.com ). This online parenting class takes 7-8 hours to complete plus a couple hours of homework/practice. It can be done completely in the comfort of your home.