Alternative Discipline: Kids Corner

Aired on Superstation WGN
Saturday, March 26 and June 25, 2005

Show 209

You ask your son to get ready for bed and he pretends he doesn't even hear you. You ask your daughter, could you pick up your toys? And she throws a temper tantrum. Parenting, especially disciplining, is so frustrating. We yell, we beg, we plead with our kids to no avail. When a child of any age misbehaves, they should be stopped promptly. But what follows should be based on their age and what they can understand. Children under two respond best to distracting and redirecting. Steer them away from that "no, no" by changing their focus. Time outs are used to stop children from misbehaving and allow them time to think about what they've done. Shorter is better when determining the duration of the time out. In fact, experts recommend one minute of time out for each year of your child's age. Encouragement is a positive way to influence your child's behavior. Catch them doing something good, praise them for it. Some say parenting is the toughest job in the world, but done in a loving way, proper discipline can help your child grow into a self-confident and successful adult.