These are the Best Positive Parenting Discipline Techniques

Positive parenting discipline is incredibly effective but it is also a lot of work. Find a plethora of positive parenting resources below.

Whether it’s in the candy aisle at the grocery store, at school pickup, or at a family gathering, we’ve all been there. Our child acts out and there is an audience. It feels as though all eyes are on us judging our reactions and our approach.

Not only do we want to do what’s best for our kids in these moments, but we also want to come out as unscathed as possible when it comes to the judgement of others. Sadly, more than once, I have had that family-member-once-removed witness my parenting and assume that because I don’t punish my kids, I’m failing to discipline them.

The truth is, you can have effective discipline without punishment. In fact, the “old school” techniques including timeouts, spanking, yelling, and chastising have been proven to be ineffectual.

The problem for so many of us is that we default to what we experienced as children. And, positive parenting discipline can take a lot of thought. Honestly, it’s effortful. When we are exhausted, it’s hard to think of how to structure our discipline in a way that doesn’t include some of the above-mentioned techniques. As such, I’ve assembled some of the best resources on positive parenting disciplinary techniques. These references contain invaluable positive parenting tips.

Best Positive Parenting Discipline Techniques

Positive Parenting Discipline and Staying Calm

Staying calm and level-headed is crucial to executing positive discipline. Here are some tips to stay on track.

• If you find you lose your cool, this simple strategy to stop yelling will help in the heat of the moment.
• This 10-step plan from Dr Laura Markham to stop yelling is a must-read.
• Here are five things you can do to be a calmer parent.
• When you start to feel out of touch with your parenting, these tips will help you reset and get back on track.

Positive Parenting Disciplining & Choosing Your Wording Carefully

• Find out why saying “Calm down,” “relax,” or similar doesn’t work and what to say instead in this post from The Mommy Views.
• Read how negative language makes discipline harder to understand and how to use more powerful phrasing here.

Positive Parenting Techniques for Big Emotions and Difficult Behaviour

• Use this analogy when addressing your child’s most difficult behaviour – it will help you come up with an action plan.
• Gently coach your child through their anger with these strategies from The Mommy View.
• This three-letter acronym from The Reformed Idealist Mom will helpfully and drastically change how you approach difficult behaviour.
• Parent through toddler tantrums and willfulness with these 11 tips.
• Find more parenting tips for toddler tantrums from Aha Parenting.
• For children beyond the kindergarten years, consider the stage of their social and emotional development. Here are both insights and suggestions for children around the age of eight.
• Go for walks and talk. Read one mom’s story here.
• For separation anxiety, consider these strategies from Kids Craft Room. Or, follow these ideas to set up a strategy to ease separation anxiety from yours truly.

Positive Parenting Discipline: Alternatives to Timeouts

• Here are positive parenting alternatives to timeouts.
• This is an excellent read on Time Ins vs. Timeouts including one mistake you may be making.
• In this post, you will find out how to set up a calm down corner.
• This is why timeouts don’t work the way we would like them to.

Strategies so Your Child Will Listen Better

• This one crucial tip to increase listening is excellent.
• Find nine effective strategies to get your child to listen here.
• For a great resource, read these research-based tactics on how to improve your child’s listening.
• Finally, find tips to better your communication with your toddler in this post.

Positive Insights, Strategies, and Ideas For a Strong-Willed

• On picking your battles, Danya Banya identifies battles she’s completely willing to lose and why this works.
• Here is a wonderful compilation of tips on parenting spirited children.
• Find out the most crucial aspect to parenting a strong-willed child here.
• Read an excellent article from Dr Laura Markham on parenting spirited child children here.
• On the days where parenting a strong-willed child is incredibly difficult, here are two posts worth reading and holding close to your heart.
  • 3 Ways Parenting a Spirited Child will Bring You Joy
  • 20 Hopes for my Spirited Child

I hope you’ve found value in the immense amount of resources on positive parenting here.

Here are some other excellent posts centred on positive parenting