“If we don’t use rewards or punishments, what’s the alternative? What else can we use that works“.
I remember asking this question myself when I first began to make the shift in my attitude towards parenting. But the problem lies in the question itself. What do we mean by ‘works’?
Usually, I think we mean ‘get our children to do what we want, now’ or ‘Get a child to stop an unwanted behaviour, and sooner rather than later.’ So we’re measuring the success of a particular method by the immediate and perceivable outcome. Conventional discipline techniques like the naughty step are all about gaining obedience in the short-term. So when we ask, ‘What’s the alternative?’ I think we’re still too hung up on short-term obedience, or in finding ways to manipulate and change behaviour.
There are different strategies we can use to try to avoid power struggles and upsets, and gain cooperation. There are different ways we can respond when a child’s behaviour is unacceptable. But there are no quick fix solutions. We need to think long-term, and seek to guide our children into acceptable behaviour over time, not overnight. If, instead of looking for things that ‘work’ in the immediate term, we pay attention to the relationship, to being connected, and to meeting our child’s emotional needs, this in time will lead to fewer difficulties, and a fresher, more effective approach to the challenges we encounter – and often it’s a change in our own attitude, expectations, and approach that’s needed, rather than a change in our child’s behaviour.
Let go of control.
Too often we try to exert unnecessary levels of control over our children. Make sure there’s a good reason to say no. Often there is. But sometime it’s possible to come up with a compromise or solution that allows your child some autonomy. Save rules for things that really matter. Be mindful of safety without using it as an excuse. Respect a child’s need for what little freedom and autonomy we can afford them. Life as a young child is restrictive enough already.
Don’t be a helicopter or try to micro-manage. Step back a little and chill out. Allow that kids can be messy, forgetful, impulsive, and may not always like or enjoy what you expect them to.
Don’t expect, or even desire, blind and instant obedience.
Have realistic, age appropriate expectations.
Don’t expect a two-year-old to happily share toys with other children. Don’t expect a young child to follow you quietly round the supermarket without ever running in the aisles, attempting to touch anything on the shelves, or whining. Be reasonable, get real, and plan accordingly.
Furthermore, many unwanted behaviours will change over time as part of a child’s natural development, and don’t need to be interfered with by adults with “behaviour modification techniques”. Hitting will stop when a child develops greater impulse control and anger management. We can take steps to prevent it, step in quickly when it happens, gently teach and guide, but we can’t change things overnight.
Change the situation, not the child.
“It takes a truly adaptive parent to sense the futility of harping on behaviour and to stop railing against what the parent cannot change……It takes a wise parent to focus on what the child is reacting to: the circumstances and situations surrounding the child. In other words, a parent must first let go of trying to change the child.” Gordon Neufeld, Ph.D., and Gabor Mate, M.D., “Hold On to Your Kids“.
Strive to prevent difficult behaviour from happening in the first place. If your child can’t manage certain situations, avoid them, or change them. Maybe they just can’t handle the supermarket. Can you shop online? Make it more fun for them? Leave them with dad and do it on a Saturday?
If something’s going wrong on a regular basis look at the circumstances surrounding it and for ways to change them.
Meltdown? Maybe they didn’t get enough one to one time with you today. Can you build some in tomorrow? Maybe they’re over-tired. Perhaps that after-school playdate wasn’t such a good idea. Every situation is different, and a different set of circumstances led to things turning out how they did. Things will go wrong sometimes. Learn from these without letting yourself or your child feel bad about it, and emerge stronger and wiser the next time.
Stay connected and give attention when it’s needed
“…I hate the phrase, “He was just looking for attention.” For years, the standard advice has been to ignore such behavior. I don’t get that. We don’t say, “He keeps asking for food, but just ignore him: he’s only saying that because he’s hungry.” We don’t say, “Your cup is empty; so I’ll make sure you don’t get a refill.” If someone is looking for attention that bad, I figure they must need some attention! If we give them enough of the good kind, they won’t be so desperate that they’ll settle for the bad kind”. Lawrence Cohen, Ph.D., “Playful Parenting”.
Forget the old philosophy of not rewarding ‘bad behaviour’ with attention. If your child is attention-seeking, give them some attention. Then give them some more the next day so they won’t have to resort to ‘bad’ behaviour to get it in the first place. Simple.
Difficult behaviours stem from disconnection. Staying connected with your child is the single, most effective way to avoid these.
It’s not discipline techniques we need, conventional or not. It’s the bigger picture, the whole approach and attitude to parenting as an ongoing journey. There are no short cuts. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to any given situation, to any particular child or particular behaviour or issue. We’d all love there to be a magic step-by-step procedure to stop our children hitting, to make them share with other children, to make them get ready for bed every night without any fuss . Programs like Supernanny would have us believe there is. But there isn’t.
Parenting with Understanding 
How about a sample situation? You have a single child, who typically gets the attention it asks for. One day guests come and parents want to be with the guests. The attention is turned away from a child for a period of time. Child starts demanding the attention.
What you can do?
1) ask it to stop, but it won’t listen – child needs are not fulfilled
2) change the way you talk with guests to involve the child – it requires quite an effort to be able to be with the guests as much as you and they need it and give sufficient attention to the child
I would appreciate your view.
I can certainly relate to the situation you are describing and it can be very frustrating!
I think realistic expectations are important here. Some children may manage better than others, but I would question how realistic it would be to expect a child to quietly occupy themselves and give up their parents’ attention to visitors, although you don’t mention age.
I have tried setting something up for my child to do beforehand – building with blocks, drawing – but to be honest this has rarely worked as he is distracted by the presence of the guests and wants his share not just of my attention, but of theirs too. Sometimes one of the guests will be happy to show an interest in what he’s doing while the rest of us chat, if not, myself or my partner will have to take turns with him.
I see it as one of those things that I have to just accept is difficult now that I have a child. Either guests have to visit when our child is asleep, meet us somewhere out like a playground where child is more likely to play independently or with other children, or we have to just accept that we won’t all be able to sit and chat together like we could before we had a child. It won’t be forever. He’ll soon be old enough to handle such a situation without disrupting it so much for the adults.