Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Isolate and Ignore

It is amazing that no matter how educated you think you are, information can be presented to you in a slightly different way or context and it hits you like a ton of bricks or clicks in a way that it didn't before.

We recently took Peyton in for his 4 year well check. We left with a bunch of information (milestones, vaccines, etc.) and part of that was a little blurb about discipline. We have always felt pretty good about how we discipline our kids. We try to be firm and consistent, model the correct behavior and use positive behavior reinforcements. We aren't perfect, but who is? Anyway, the blurb said ignore and isolate rather than spank and shout. We know all of that, but to phrase it in such a simple way really made it click - again. With a 4 and a 6 year old who basically only have each other here in Virginia, they can get on each others nerves and we can all be short with each other. This phrase has been a great reminder.

Additionally, in my graduate classes I am currently taking a class in counseling and psychoanalysis and we just finished a week on cognitive and behavioral therapy. During the reading, I was again reminded that it is important to ignore bad behavior because by acknowledging it you are reinforcing it and the child will continue the bad behavior as well because you are reacting (even if negatively).

Again, all things that I know and have read about and learned, but a reminder sure does help.

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