- Breathe for several moments
- Empathize with your child; validate their emotions
- Connect with your child by being curious as to what is going on.
- Listen to what your child is saying in regards to what they need in the moment
- Do the above without judgment, perhaps curiosity to find a solution/s.
- Help your child to feel calm; when you can regulate (i.e. calm), you can help your child to regulate. Perhaps, deep breathing together.
Steps to Shifting the Parenting Paradigm or Behavior Modification for Parents
This morning I have on my mind parenting and how to help parents make the shift from reacting to their child’s negative behaviors, to responding to their child’s needs. Notice what I’ve done there I actually changed from addressing a behavior to addressing a need AND with that changed from “reaction” to “response”. By responding to our child, we are putting our thoughts ahead of our actions. You are actually going to use “behavior modification” on yourself. And yes, I am going to offer you some tools to do just that: