January Potluck

We finished off the month with a "soup and sandwich" potluck at Abby's house! Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate for the sledding part of the party, but the food was amazing and the kids had a great time chasing each other around and playing while the moms chatted!

January 22nd: "Helping Kids to Eat Nutritiously"

For the Moms:


Today we got together and discussed different tips and tricks to help our kids eat more nutritiously. Jen Lead the discussion and provided everybody with some great information on the subject. Perhaps most helpful was a booklet produced by the Government Alberta entitled "Healthy Eating and Active Living for Your 1 to 5 Year Old" (available at the public health office). This booklet contains everything from nutritional needs and appropriate portion sizes for children 1-5, as well as tips and information changing behaviour trends in regards to eating and common childhood feeding issues and solutions.

Some common problems discussed by our group:

1) If your Child Refuses to Eat Meat:

Suggestions:

- cut into small pieces and serve in soups, stews, tomato sauce, or meatloaf.
- serve with ketchup for dipping
- Offer other protein rich foods such as: eggs, fish, cheese, peanut butter, soy products, beans or lentils
- Increase iron intake with dark leafy vegetables, fortified breads and cereals, or dried fruit such as raisins
- remember that the over-all amount of protein your child needs each day is relatively small

2) If Your Child Refuses to Eat Vegetables:

Suggestions:

- keep a variety of ready to serve, brightly coloured veggies on hand and serve at snack time when child is hungry
- Puree veggies and add then to soups, sauces, or other foods
- Involve children in choosing vegetables at the grocery store, or in growing a vegetable garden

3) If Your Child Refuses to Try New Foods:

Suggestions:

- Continue to offer new foods by placing small amounts on their plate.
- Encourage them to try a small bite, or taste
- Let your child help to prepare the new food
- Avoid forcing them to eat it (this can reduce rather than increase acceptance)

4) If Your Child Refuses to Eat:

Suggestions:

- Respect your child's awareness of their own body
- serve smaller amounts of food
- Ensure snacks are served well before mealtimes
- Do not cater to their desires (ie: avoid becoming a short-order cook)
- Know that a skipped meal every once in awhile is nothing to be concerned about so long as your child is growing normally

5) If Your Child Takes Too Long to Eat:

Suggestions:

- Be patient! Plan plenty of time for meals
- Allow your child to explore, touch, and taste their food
- After a reasonable amount of time (20-30 mins) remove their plate without a fuss

6) If Your Child Wants the Same Food Everyday:

Suggestions:

- As long as it's nutritious, don't worry about it!
- Continue to offer other healthy choices at meals
- Kids will typically move on to something else if you DON'T make a big deal about it

7) If Your Child Does Not Drink Milk:

Suggestions:

- offer small servings but don't force it
- Know that other dairy products such as yogurt and cheese have the calcium they need, but not the Vitamin D
- use milk instead of water in cream soups, with pureed vegetables, in puddings, and hot cereal.

If your child drinks too much milk:

- Limit intake. Aim for 2-3 cups per day.
- Do not serve milk in a bottle - rather serve it in a cup at mealtimes


General Tips That Can Go Along Way:

- Be a good example yourself. Your children will be watching and be interested in what YOU are eating. They may even want to try something you are eating.

- Talk often with your children about healthy and unhealthy food choices. Explain why it is important to eat healthy foods.

- Involve children in grocery shopping and meal preparation. When kids have the opportunity to take ownership in the process of food gathering and preparation, they are much more likely to eat it!

- If you have to, barter with them: require them to eat x number of bites before having dessert, etc. If they want a treat, request them to eat something healthy first, etc.


For the Tots:



The kids had a great time cutting out pictures of healthy foods from grocery store fliers and gluing them onto their own paper-plate.

Parenting Literature Booklist:

We have added a new feature to our website! In the left column of this page you will find a link to our recommended Book List!

Parenting literature can be soooo valuable and helpful to us as mothers, and yet it can also be totally overwhelming to know what books are any good out of the millions that are out there! On our booklist you will find recommended reading on various parenting subjects that members from our group have read and reviewed. If you would like to write a review for a parenting book you have read please follow the format used in the examples already on the booklist and email your review to Abby. Please also feel free to add your review to a book that someone else has already reviewed (the more voices about a particular book - the better!). Any questions or comments can be passed on to Abby. Thanks for your participation!

2009 Welcome Back!

For the Moms:

We had a great time chatting and visiting, catching up with returning moms after the holidays, and meeting some new moms!

For the Tots:

The kids snacked on chocolate-chip cookies and apple slices afterwhich they had a blast painting our cardboard "houses" in an array of different colours!

Effective Discipline Part 4: "Maintaining Self-Control"

One of the most essential and important parts of using effective discipline to manage and shape your child's behaviour is the behaviour that you yourself model for them. As Dr. Phelan suggests in "1-2-3 Magic," when we are happy with our kids we are not going to do any harm by expressing our positive feelings; however, it is when we are irritated with our kids that we can end up doing damage by expressing our negative feelings. Every parent is going to feel irritated by their children's behaviour at some point and often at many points. We need to learn how to prevent our negative feelings from controlling our words and actions, thus avoiding as much damage to our children as possible. This process is going to be different for every parent, but here are some general suggestions that our group discussed which can help:

1) SELF-AWARENESS:

Learn to know yourself and your current state at all times. Sometimes developing an internal "meter" for measuring your stress level can be helpful. Stop to ask yourself the following questions:

- What are my triggers? (ie: the things my kids do that absolutely drive me nuts!)
- Where is my patience at right now?
- What can I handle effectively right now? What can I not handle effectively right now?
- How am I feeling physically? (tired, ill, hungry, etc)
- How am I feeling mentally/emotionally? (overwhelmed, stressed, relaxed?)

One of the most important parts of developing a keen sense of self-awareness is knowing what you need and what you can give at any one time. This is going to be different for everybody - and is also going to change for us individually from day to day and sometimes even hour to hour. That is why it is so important that as parents we figure it out and learn to monitor it for ourselves. Our inability to acknowledge and address these things in ourselves greatly hinder our ability to deal effectively with our children.

Once we acknowledge a need that we have, we need to address it. This can be difficult to do as a parent (ex: "I know I need more sleep, but how do I get it when my baby is up all night every night?") . Often we have to get a little creative and learn to be very adaptive to our ever changing circumstances. Each individual's circumstances will be different. The important thing to remember is that you must take care of yourself - you are not being selfish, you are being responsible. Do what you need to do (and here it is important to make a distinction between needs and wants). It may mean sacrificing something - but you have to remember that when it effects the health, happiness, and general well-being of your family, it is for the greater good.

2) HAVE A PLAN:

Whatever method of effective discipline you choose to use - make sure you have a plan - especially to deal with your personal triggers. Don't try to "wing it." Educate yourself as a parent as much as possible with available tools and resources. Know what you are going to do when your child does something before they do it (ex: “if/when my child does this - I do that”). Having a plan can help you remain calm, composed and act appropriately because you have already pre-determined what you are going to do and how you are going to do it. This is much better for both you and your child than heading into a situation where you don't know what you're going to do and you may "loose it."

3) USE PRAYER:

Whether you use it to start the day, end the day, on-the-fly, or preferably all of the above, ask Heavenly Father for help, guidance, and direction. Remember that the only person who loves your children more than you is Him. He sent your children to you. He wants you to be successful. Use the moment to collect yourself, and then head-out when you are ready.

4) USE HUMOUR:

When you're at the point where you don’t know whether to laugh or cry - laugh! (But don’t necessarily let your kids see you do it!)

5) HAVE AN OUTLET:

Every parent (especially stay-at-home parents), need some kind of outlet outside of home and children where they can take a break to do, or participate in something they enjoy. This allows us to release stress, and come back to our families refreshed and ready. It may mean taking time to work on a hobby or interest, going out with friends for a night, or just having a friend or family member that we can call up and "vent" to, or bounce things off of once in awhile. Everybody needs something sometime. We are all different, and will have different outlets - the important thing is that we keep this need in check and balance with the needs of the rest of our family members.

6) DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF FROM YOUR KIDS:

Sometimes we allow our emotional state to get very wrapped up in our child's behaviour. This can be very unhealthy sometimes. For example, when our child achieves something, we begin to think that we've achieved something. By contrast, when our child behaves inappropriately we feel like our child's behaviour and choices are a reflection on us and the type of people we are. This places us in a very vulnerable and stressful position, because our emotions and feelings about ourselves become dependent upon someone else's actions which we can not control. This can cause our internal "stress meter" to rise significantly whenever our child acts inappropriately, but especially in public. This in turn increases our chances of loosing our composure and not addressing the situation appropriately, potentially causing damage to our children.

It is important to realize that your children are not you - they are their own independent being (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually). Sometimes they will make choices in-line with our desires, and sometimes they will not. Even the best and most skilled parent can not completely control their child - nor was it ever meant to be that way. Remember that even though our Father in Heaven is a perfect parent, not all of His children have turned out "perfectly."

It is also important not to judge other parents by their child's behaviour. By doing so, the next time our child is the one in the middle of an uncontrollable fit, we automatically believe that everyone else is looking at us and judging our parental inadequacies.

7) CREATE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS:

Ideals are great, but it's important to create reasonable expectations for yourself and your child. No one is perfect. If you expect yourself or your child to be something they can not be, you will only be left feeling disappointed. Rather, try to focus on doing your best, and accept that the best you have to offer can and will change from day to day and moment to moment in relation to your circumstances. All you can do is your best in any given moment, and that's all your child can do too. Avoid comparing yourself to other parents, and your children to other children. It's simply not accurate, or fair.

When you make mistakes (and everybody does sometime) ask for forgiveness from your child, our Father in Heaven, and resolve to try and do better. Again, your child won't be perfect. They will make mistakes at some point in their life too. By asking for their forgiveness, you are modelling for them what to do when a mistake has been made. You set a powerful example for them, and teach an excellent lesson on repentance which they will need to know when dealing with their own mistakes in life.

Effective Discipline: Part 3 "Parenting a Strong Willed Child"

In "1-2-3 Magic" Dr. Phelan suggests that about 50% of kids are what he calls "immediate co-operators" and 50% are "instant testers." Strong-willed children are not only immediate testers, but persistent testers who never seem to give up! Being the parent of a strong-willed child is very demanding and often vary draining physically, emotionally, mentally, and even spiritually. The good news is that there is hope!

The first thing to understand as the parent of a strong-willed child is that you don't necessarily want to "break" them from the characteristics that can make their behaviour so difficult to deal with sometimes. This is because many of their characteristics which you might find so frustrating can actually act for tremendous good in your child's life (these include tenacity, persistence, determination, stead-fastness, etc) when expressed appropriately. Your goal as a parent is to channel these natural characteristics of your strong-willed child into avenues which will act for their benefit as opposed to their detriment.


"Parenting the Strong Willed Child" is a clinically proven 5 step program to help you achieve this end for children aged 2-6.

*If you are interested in using this program with your child please read the entire book, or take a course as offered by Parents As Teachers (go to www.growalongwithme.ca) before beginning*


THE 5 STEPS:

1) ATTENDING:

What to do:

Find 2, 10 minute practice sessions each day, where you sit down alone and uninterrupted with your child and essentially comment on their activities without issuing any directions, or asking any questions. Think of yourself as a sports-broadcaster describing a hockey game as it happens. If your child will let you, you can even begin to copy what they are doing. Try to ignore any inappropriate behaviour which they may exhibit during this time.

Rationale:

You allow the child to completely control the activity. Strong willed children need an opportunity to lead and express their independence. By not issuing any directions or questions, you leave them completely in control of the activity. Giving them your undivided attention lets them know that you are interested in what they are doing, and the play-by-play commentary essentially validates and teaches them that what they are doing is appropriate.


2) REWARDING:

What to do:

Offer praise, physical affection, and rewards (candies, toys, stickers, etc) whenever your child exhibits positive behaviour. (See post on "More 1-2-3 Magic" for more details about positive reinforcement and praise)

Rationale:

When a child receives positive feedback for doing something good, they’re more likely to do it again.


3) IGNORING:

What to do:

Use to extinguish minor negative behaviour. Begin by choosing one negative behaviour which you wish to eliminate. Once that behaviour is under-control or extinguished, begin again with another (process of systematic elimination). To start: sit down with the child & explain to them the exact behaviour which is unacceptable and that you will ignore the child (which means absolutely no eye contact, no talking, no physical contact) when they do it (unless they become dangerous or destructive, at which point you move to a time-out) .

When they respond in the way you want them to (ie: they stop the behaviour - sometimes teaching a cue to use is helpful), shower them with praise and describe to them exactly what they did right. Warning: negative behaviours initially get worse (and sometimes way worse) before they get better - be prepared!

Rationale:

When a child receives absolutely NO attention or acknowledgement for negative behaviour they are likely to discontinue it. Ignoring also forces the child to learn how to control themselves and behave appropriately.


4) ISSUING EFFECTIVE DIRECTIONS:

What to do:

Avoid vague directions like "be good," or chaining directions ex:"go pick up your toys, go to the bathroom, get your coat and boots, and then we'll go outside." Be sure that the directions you give to your child are precise, clear, simple, and short. Be sure to use language which they understand, or clarify a word which they might not understand. Get down to their level and make eye-contact when speaking to them.

Rationale:

A child can't meet an expectation they don’t understand. Never assume that your child just understands what you mean! They are constantly in a state of learning - not learnedness! Make your communication with them specific, clear, and to their level. Spell everything out for them, and be prepared to have to repeat yourself - especially when teaching something new.


5) EFFECTIVE TIME-OUTS:

For behaviours you can't ignore (if the child becomes dangerous to self or others, or destructive to property, etc) use an effective time-out (refer to "1-2-3 Magic" program for information about using time-outs effectively)


POINTS TO CONSIDER:

- A strong-willed child will need about 1 month per year of their age consistently using the program before you can expect to see changes in their behaviour (ex: a 3 year old child will need about 3 months, etc)

- For the program to be effective you must consistently use all of the steps together in conjunction with each other.

- Attending is the first step because it is the most important! You may be the most tempted to try and cut this one out (espeically after using the program for awhile), but your strong-willed child really needs that time with you and the success of the other steps really hinges upon that!

Effective Discipline: Part 2, "1-2-3 Magic" by Dr. Thomas W. Phelan

For the Moms:

This week we continued to discuss using effective discipline methods with our children. We watched and discussed parts of the DVD "1-2-3 Magic" by Dr. Thomas W. Phelan. The program consists of 2 DVD's,"1-2-3 Magic: Managing Difficult Behaviour in Children 2-12" and "More 1-2-3 Magic: Encouraging Good Behaviour, Independence and Self-Esteem." Because both DVDs are longer than the time we had available, we were able only to watch certain selections, but moms who were interested in using this discipline program with their children were encouraged to take both DVDs home so that they could watch the entirety of both, preferably with their husbands!

*If you are interested in using this program with your children, please contact Abby in order to borrow the DVDs so you can learn the entire program before you start*

The 1-2-3 Magic program comes highly recommended from local community program, Parents As Teachers to parents of children aged 2-12 who are struggling to manage the difficult behaviours that their children can sometimes exhibit. The program has proven to be very effective with a broad range of children when used correctly, and is very popular in many homes, schools, and childcare facilities. It will seem familiar to many parents, however it is a program that recommends a reaction/cost effect, mostly in the form of "time-outs" which not all parents will be comfortable with. As always, we are not suggesting that this is the one-and-only correct method of disciplining children. It is a tool in our parental "tool-box" which we can use if and when we feel it is in the best interests of our children and family, but for some children and families it may not be.

"1-2-3 Magic: Managing Difficult Behaviour in Children 2-12"

START & STOP BEHAVIOUR:

One of the first things that Dr. Phelan discusses with parents is the difference between STOP and START behaviour in children. Minor Stop Behaviour includes all of the little irritating things that we wish our children would stop doing such as:

- arguing
- screaming
- yelling
- tantrums
- rudeness
- sibling rivalry
- whining
- etc

Major stop Behaviour may include things like:

- Physical violence
- Intentional destruction of property
- Profanity
- etc

START Behaviour refers to the behaviours that we would like to see our children engage in more often. Examples of Start Behaviour include:

- doing homework
- eating at mealtimes
- obedience
- etc

In the first DVD, "1-2-3 Magic: Managing Difficult Behaviour in Children 2-12," Dr. Phelan mainly discusses methods for managing STOP behaviour, whereas the 2nd DVD, "More 1-2-3 Magic: Encouraging Good Behaviour, Independence and Self-Esteem" focuses on how to encourage START behaviour.

"COUNTING:"


To eliminate minor STOP behaviour, Dr. Phelan recommends a simple system he refers to as "counting."

Counting Minor Stop Behaviour:

When a child engages in minor stop behaviour, you the parent will ask the child to stop the inappropriate behaviour, giving only 1 simple and straight-forward explanation of why - and only if it is absolutely necessary (often, he says, it is not). If the child does not stop, you will hold up one finger to them and say in a firm, but calm voice, "That's one." You will then allow for 5 seconds to pass in silence. If the child fails to stop the behaviour, you will hold up two fingers and say, "That's two." You will then allow for an additional 5 seconds to pass in silence. If the child still does not stop the behaviour, you will hold up three fingers and say, "that's 3, take five." You will then enforce a consequence by directing the child to a designated time-out spot (for older children whom a time-out may not be appropriate for, Dr. Phelan suggests using a "Docking System" as a consequence, ie: subtracting designated amounts of the child's allowance, or minutes for an earlier bedtime, TV/Computer time, etc)

When the child has finished their time-out, Dr. Phelan recommends no explanations, lectures, talking, etc about the stop behaviour, unless it was something really unusual that the child has never done before and warrants a further explanation. Instead, he recommends starting fresh with a clean-slate. If the child engages in the behaviour again, the parent will "count" the behaviour and repeat the procedure again.

Counting Major Stop Behaviour:

If a child engages in a major stop behaviour, you the parent will skip the first 2 counts, hold up 3 fingers and say in a firm, but calm voice, "That's 3, take 15" doubling, or tripling the time of the time-out, or amount of the time-out alternative to correspond with the seriousness of the offense.

The only START behaviour that Dr. Phelan suggests using counting for is simple obedience for small tasks that will take a child under 2 minutes to complete (ex: you ask a child to brush their teeth and they refuse to comply. You proceed with the count, until they concede and obey)

*On the DVD, Dr. Phelan also has several suggestions for a number of different, counting-related scenarios such as: what to do when you're out in public, there is an audience, you're on the phone, counting multiple kids, etc. Please see the DVD for this type of specific information.*


TIME-OUTS:


As a general guideline, Dr. Phelan suggests allocating 1 minute per year of the child's life to determine an appropriate time for a time-out (ie: a 2 year old child will get 2 minutes, a 3 year old 3 minutes, etc). Using a timer is also recommended in order to keep proper track of the time-out, and to be consistent.

Going to Time-Out:

Realistically, not all children will simply go to a time-out of their own free-will. Dr. Phelan suggests that some children may need a simple physical cue, others may need to be escorted, while others may actually need to be physically removed to the time-out spot. Whatever is necessary, it is important to be gentle but firm, and remain silent.

Staying on Time-Out:

When you begin to use a time-out consequence with your children - expect that your child will try to leave the time-out spot. Most children will. Dr. Phelan recommends using methods as simple as closing the door to using baby-gates, door-knob covers, dutch-doors, or locks as a last resort - which he also proposes strict guidelines to abide by if you feel like a lock would be necessary.

We talked about the "Super Nanny" Method which we believe is more effective for creating self-discipline in the child. The method is to gently and without talking, take them back, take them back, take them back, 10/100/1000 times, etc until they get it - and most kids will eventually get it. Start the time-out only once they have learned to stay put.

*On the DVD, Dr. Phelan also has several suggestions for a number of difficult, specific time-out related scenarios such as kids that will wreck-rooms, puke pee or poo, etc. Please see the DVD for this type of specific information.*


TESTING & MANIPULATION:


Dr. Phelan informs parents that 50% of kids will be what he calls, "instant cooperators" which means once they have learned the program they will fall into line without any problems.

The other 50% of kids will be what Dr. Phelan calls "instant testers," who will push and test the new limits, often resulting in their behaviour getting worse before it will get better. Kids who are instant testers will typically use one of these six methods of testing and manipulation, or a combination:

1) Badgering
2) Temper
3) Threat
4) Martyrdom
5) Butter-Up
6) Physically acting out

*Examples of all of these are shown on the DVD*

Dr. Phelan explains that if your child has a favourite amongst the above methods that is bad - because it means it is working for them! He tells parents that they must not give in to their children's attempts to test and manipulate them. Instead, he suggests "counting" all testing and manipulation, except for buttering-up.


THE 2 BIGGEST MISTAKES MADE BY PARENTS:


Dr. Phelan suggests 2 reasons why the 1-2-3 Magic program may be ineffective: parents get too emotional, or talk too much when trying to use it. To rectify this he sets out two absolute rules for parents to follow when using the program:

1) No Talking
2) No Emotion

Dr. Phelan explains that parents must learn to control themselves when using this program in order for it to be successful. Getting too "excited" when using the count, or burying the count in "verbal garbage," or excessive talking will cause the program to fail.

He says that if parents can stick to the program, exactly as it has been laid out - they will find that they have to discipline their children less and less as problems with stop behaviour disappear, and they will have more time to enjoy their children, which is what every parent wants!


GETTING STARTED:

*The information supplied about this program on this site is very basic and incomplete. If you are interested in using this program with your children, please watch the entire length of both DVDs before beginning*

Dr. Phelan suggests beginning the program with a "kick-off" conversation with your kids. In a sit-down meeting, explain to them the basics of counting and what is coming. Don't expect them to "get it" simply from the meeting. Dr. Phelan suggests that most kids will have to experience the counting procedure in action a few times before they understand it fully. He also suggests that for most kids, it will take 1-2 weeks of using the program before seeing results.

"More 1-2-3 Magic: Encouraging Good Behaviour, Independence and Self-Esteem"

To begin, Dr. Phelan suggests that good parents exhibit 3 qualities. They are:

1) Warm
2) Demanding (have expectations for their children)
3) Encourage independence


PART 1: "6 Tactics for Encouraging Good Behaviour:"

1) Positive Reinforcement / Praise

Praise a child whenever they exhibit good behaviour (especially to begin with, or when they are just starting a specific behaviour that you want to see more of, try to praise it every time you possibly can). Tailor your praise to the child and to the behaviour (some kids need really gushy praise, some need a simple statement). Be specific - instead of making a vague statement like, "good job" try to tell them exactly what it was they did that you're proud of.

Giving a child praise and positive reinforcement for good behaviour is going to make them want to do it again! However, be wary of creating praise-dependent good behaviour. Dr. Phelan suggests that once the good behaviour has become fairly common, move to using variable intermmitent reinforcement - in other words only praise the behaviour once in awhile, and work to gradually reduce that.

One group member suggested as the child grows and matures, working to create their own intrinsic (internal) motivators for them rather than relying on external motivators (ie: praise, rewards). Asking questions that lead the child to think about feelings generated in themselves and others is one way of doing this, along with asking them questions which help them to evaulate their own efforts (ex: "How did you feel when you did this?" "What do you like about what you did?" etc)


2) Simple Requests (ie: Obedience):

This is the only start behaviour which Dr. Phelan suggests you use counting for, and only for tasks that should take the child under 2 minutes to complete as a general rule (ex: "Come to the table for supper"). Only ask one time. If the child doesn't comply, save your breath and start the count.


3) Kitchen Timer:

This is really effective in situations where time available to you is short, and you need to get your child to cooperate with you (ie: trying to get out the door to get somewhere on time).

Purchase a simple kitchen timer (one with a ticking clock and ringer when times up). Instead of nagging, or constantly reminding your child to do what they need to do, set the timer for a designated amount of time (ex: 10 minutes) and explain to them that they need to complete the task before the timer ends. Try to make a game of it, and encourage them to try and"beat the timer." Don't do anymore nagging or reminding - let the constant "tick, tick, tick" of the timer be their motivator.

Can be used for:

- dressing
- eating
- cleaning up
- etc

When the timer is up, if they haven't completed the task - give them a bonus minute and help them in the spirit of the game (especially if they've really been trying to complete the task), or if they haven't been cooperative at all, allow a natural consequence to follow if possible (ie: they didn't eat their lunch before they have to go to school = they go to school hungry, or if they don't get dressed in time for school = send them to school in their pajamas, etc).

I find that this works most effectively if it's not used all the time, but just in those circumstances where you really are in a hurry and need immediate compliance.


4) Docking System:

This works particularly well for older children whom time-outs may no longer be appropriate for.

First you need to find something that is in your control which gives you leverage over your child (ex: allowance money, computer/video game/ TV time, bedtime, etc). If you have to perform a count for an older child and make it to 3 where you need to implement a consequence, instead of trying to drag your older child off to a time-out you're simply going to dock a previously allocated amount away from whatever it is you have chosen as leverage (ex: 50 cents off of allowance, 15 minutes earlier bedtime, 15 minutes less computer time, etc).

You can also work a reward system into this where if you want to reinforce something good that they've done, or motivate them to start doing something, you will add the previously allocated amount to their leverage every time they do it.

In the case of regular chores, Dr, Phelan suggests working out a system where you give the child a designated amount of time to complete the assigned chore (ex: one week to clean your room). Let the child decide when within that week they want to do it; however, if they do not complete the chore within the designated time, you will do it and they will pay you for it (ex: weeks up, you clean the room and then dock $2 from their allowance to "pay" you for having to do their chore for them).


5) Natural Consequences:

These can be powerful teachers, but have limited applications especially for younger children who may not be able to make the connection between action and consequence if the time period is too long, or too abstract.

However, they can be very useful for older children. Examples of natural consequences include:

Refusing to eat = going hungry
Refusing to wear a coat = being cold
Not practicing a musical instrument = not being able to perform well
Refusing to get dressed = going out in pajamas

etc!


6) Charting:

Most of us have probably tried to do this at some point, many of us use it during potty-training. Make a chart appropriate to the understanding of the child (for small children use pictures / older children words and numbers) and record the child's progress in the area you want to see improvment in. For younger children stickers often work well. For older children a number system (ex: a rating of 1-5) might be more appropriate. Display the chart in an area where the child will see it often.


PART 2: "Specific Applications"

Dr. Phelan has several suggestions / examples of application for specific areas of concern for many parents including:

- Getting up and out in the morning
- Homework and Practicing
- Mealtime
- Bedtime
- Staying in Bed
- Nighttime Waking
- Cleaning Rooms
- Picking Up
- Chores
- Telling The Truth

*See DVD for examples and specific information*


PART 3: "Dictatorship to Democracy: The Family Meeting"

Dr. Phelan explains that as kids grow and mature (by about 7-8 years) it is appropriate to gradually involve them in more of the decision making process which effects them. By doing this, kids take ownership in the process of setting rules and consequences, and are often more likely to comply with them.

He suggests that each family member involved in the meeting have an opportunity to express concerns and suggest solutions for appropriate individual and family matters.


PART 4: "Ten Strategies For Building Self-Esteem"

Dr. Phelan talks blunty about the reality of building self-esteem in our children, and what we can and can not do as parents. He suggests that while we as parents have much to contribute to our child's self esteem, alot of it will depend upon factors which are simply out of our control (ex: physical appearance, peer acceptance, acceptance by the opposite sex, life experience, etc)

*See DVD for this information*