Category: Discipline
Age range: all ages

Understanding where your style of discipline comes from, why children do the things they do, and how to positively change behaviors takes time and practice. In this 4 part series, parents explore these issues, while having the opportunity between sessions to practice strategies they learned. Participants leave this series with a clear understanding of their own expectations for their children and many strategies for helping their children achieve these expectations. They also learn positive and effective ways to help children learn self-control.

Love and Limits consists of 4 sessions:

1. Introduction to Discipline: From Parent to Child and Back Again
2. Things Kids Do That Drive Us Nuts: Understanding Motivation and Behavior
3. Positive Approaches to Discipline: Expanding Your Repertoire
4. Acknowledging Feelings and Setting Limits: Practice

Note: This 4 part series can also be scheduled as a 2 or 3 session series. Each session can also be scheduled as an individual workshop.

1. Introduction to Discipline: From Parent to Child and Back Again

Discipline is a major issue that most parents find challenging. Finding a pattern that is both loving and firm can be difficult. This session helps parents define discipline and adapt approaches that match their child’s temperament, developmental age and specific situations. Participants will leave with an understanding of where their expectations about parenting originate and a plan for establishing an effective discipline structure with their families.

2. Things Kids Do That Drive Us Nuts: Understanding Motivation and Behavior

No matter how understanding and patient parents may be, children's behavior can be very difficult to deal with.  This workshop explores why children engage in such frustrating behaviors as dawdling in the morning or refusing to do their homework, and introduces some effective ways of responding. Participants will leave this workshop with specific strategies to help them communicate with their children and change behavior.

3. Positive Approaches to Discipline:  Expanding Your Repertoire

Discipline is an ongoing parenting issue.  This session will focus on alternatives to yelling and punishing, and offer positive discipline strategies that parents can use in responding to children's teasing, hitting, whining and other challenging behavior.

Participants will leave this workshop with specific strategies to try and with practice in how to communicate their expectations to their children.

4. Acknowledging Feelings and Setting Limits

Acknowledging children’s feelings is one of the most important approaches to discipline. Separating feelings and actions helps children feel listened to and understood. This session helps parents acknowledge feelings while addressing problematic behavior. This allows parents to set clear limits and promote self-discipline in children. Participants will leave with an understanding of how these two strategies work together and practice in clearly communicating with their children.