Parenting is a full-time job, one that requires a lot of effort and patience. There are various parenting styles practiced by mommies and daddies. Some styles may work while others backfire. However, there is one parenting style that has proven to be effective – positive parenting.

What It Is

Positive parenting focuses on commending toddlers for good behaviour rather than reprimanding them when they do something negative. It is an approach that assists parents in building a strong foundation of discipline that helps develop a good and positive parent-child relationship. This parenting style has proven to offer more benefits than harsh discipline (punishments, scolding, spanking, etc.).

How It Benefits Your Toddler

Feelings Are Better Understood

When a toddler knows how to process his emotions efficiently, he understands them better. Negative talk will only bring your little one down. With positive parenting, instead of directly telling your toddler “Stop playing with your food.”, you would say “ I want you to eat your food properly.” You are able to reprimand him in a nice way without scaring your toddler. Also, he is able to comprehend  that what he did was not good and he should not repeat such foul behaviour.

Minimizes Tantrums and Rebellion

As always, your toddler likes to exercise his freedom every chance he gets. Once your toddler feels that you are limiting him or you control him too much, he will rebel. Punishing him will only make him misbehave causing power struggle. Positive parenting gives balance between you and your toddler. Each time you correct him, the both of you can have a calm conversation. In this way, you get to input your thoughts without the need to raise your voice and your little one is able reason out why he did it. This helps him understand what upset you instead of making him feel guilty. Your toddler receives discipline, not punishment.

Improves Overall Development

Generally, if your toddler is afraid of someone or something, his development suffers. Positive parenting gives your little one free will. Hence, he is able to do the things he likes with ease and security while at the same time knowing that the corrections you give him are good for him. This helps your toddler incorporate all your learning’s correctly, helping him boost his physical, mental, emotional and social development.

Positive Parenting Tips

Positive parenting needs to be practiced by parents on a daily basis. The concept is actually very simple. Here are some ways to incorporate positive parenting:

Use Reaffirming Words

Whether you give praise for a job well done or correct his faulty actions, always use encouraging words. The next time you correct him for a wrong doing, have eye contact, sit him on your lap so both of you are level with each other. Speak in a clear, firm and steady manner and then talk to him.

Set Rules

Limitation is good for your toddler. But, do keep in mind to set rules with compassion. Be open about it and discuss your rules and regulations with your toddler. Do keep an open mind and consider his perspective. Listen to him. Once he knows he has a say in your way of discipline, the more likely he will accept his limits with open arms.

Accept Mistakes

People learn best with the mistakes they made. In order to impose positive parenting successfully, allow your toddler to make mistakes. Remember, this is a part of life and scolding your toddler will only make things worse. Accept his faults and encourage him to do better next time. When he is not degraded with his faults, he discovers that making an error does not make him a bad person. But instead, he learns how to love himself helping him learn from his mistakes.