Parenting and Reflection

Daniel Siegel and Tina Bryson invite parents to increase their ability to respond to their kid’s unwanted behaviors by checking in with themselves. When a parent asks themselves: why is my child acting in this way? How can they assist their child with managing their behavior? 

The parent can redirect their approach with curiosity instead of judgment, look deeper into the factors and surroundings of the child to see if there is an influence there in addition to checking in to see if the behavior is developmentally appropriate for the child. 

When a parent asks themselves: what lesson do I want to teach at this moment? How can they assist in managing their kid’s behavior?  It’s important to remember that discipline is not all about consequences and based on the situation consider the life-skills required or the life skills that need to be strengthened. These life skills include: self control, sharing is caring, taking responsibility for one’s actions and expressing big feelings in an appropriate matter.

When a parent asks themselves: how can I best teach this lesson? How can they assist in managing their kid’s behavior? The parent can take into account developmental stages and the child’s age in addition to the context of the situation. As well, take into account both the parent and child’s emotional state, if someone's brain is emotionally flooded, they are not in a good space to learn. A collaborative problem solving approach can be a great way to teach a lesson and ensure that the child remembers the lesson too! 

To find out more information about discipline and parenting, contact Safe and Sound Therapeutics.