Positive Discipline: The First 3 Years

Positive Discipline: The First Three Years

Revised & Updated Edition

From Infant to Toddler - Laying the Foundation for Raising a Capable, Confident Child

by: Jane Nelsen, Ed.D, Cheryl Erwin, M.A. & Roslyn Ann Duffy

ISBN: 978-0804141185

$13.45 (paperback)

$11.84 (kindle)

About the book:

The celebrated Positive Discipline brand of parenting books presents the revised and updated third edition of their readable and practical guide to communicating boundaries to very young children and solving early discipline problems to set children up for success.

Over the years millions of parents have used the amazingly effective strategies of Positive Discipline to raise happy, well-behaved, and successful children. Research has shown that the first three years in a child's life are a critical moment in their development, and that behavior patterns instilled during that time can have profound implications for the rest of a child's life. Hundreds of thousands of parents have already used the advice in Positive Discipline: The First Three Years to help set effective boundaries, forge strong foundations for healthy communication, and lay the groundwork for happy and respectful relationships with their young children. Now this classic title has been revised and updated to reflect the latest neuroscientific research and developments in positive discipline parenting techniques.

My thoughts:

Gianna (18 months) is in screaming fit, temper tantrum, "that's mine" phase of life and luckily hasn't started the kicking stage. Since she can't talk yet she's not in the whiny, poor me, insolent stage yet (that's the 4 year old) we are doing well. This week though Gianna started biting (lightly thank heavens) stage and to be honest of all the stages this is the one we've been dreading the most as I do not believe in the "bite them back" method of discipline.

So, what can we do?

Enter Positive Discipline: The First Three Years by Jane Nelsen, ED.D, Cheryl Erwin, M.A. and Roslyn Ann Duffy. To me this book is divided into 3 main themes (sort of):

1. Baby & Child Development: Bringing home baby, getting to know her and brain development and WHY your baby & toddler does what they do. It also covers Emotion Skills, Language, doubt vs shame, Age Appropriate Behavior, Temperament - all within the first 2 sections. 
2. Your Child's World covers Planning Ahead, Sleeping, Toileting, Eating (or not), Getting Along (we need this one for Gianna & Madison (age 4) in a big way now).
3. The World Outside Your Home: Connecting with the Natural World (Exploring the world physically & emotionally). How kids learn, creativity & reducing stress). 

There were several things I particularly liked about the book. The authors advocate not using the screen as a caregiver with younger children. They advocate a minimal use of television or screen time with kids under 3 and something I completely agree on: No (younger) child needs a TV or computer in their room and older kids that have a TV in their room routinely score lower on tests. 

They go on to give alternatives to screen time, encourage parents to take an active role with play and asking questions to extend what they are doing. (I don't 100% agree with this - I personally believe kids need to have time for themselves without an adult butting in constantly asking questions, directing their play - let them be kids - what I do like is that they encourage positive interactions with parents & kids). They also give a great cheat sheet with questions to ask before any screen time - Does it replace interactions with real people? Is it "bookish". Does it replace hands-on experience? and more....

At the end of each section are a few questions - Questions to Ponder - to help you think about what you just read. It gives you an opportunity to explore your thoughts on the subject, journal about it & plan you Action Plan in motion - Mull It Over.

This book is packed full of helpful ideas. As with all things you need to take the time and decide what YOU think, is it usable with your family and belief values? Every page has small chunks of information you can use and tweak as needed. Excellent parent resource.

There are several other books in this series. Feel free to click on any of the titles to learn more & order if you are interested. Thanks!

     

Disclaimer: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review. Regardless I only recommend products or services I have personally read or used & think my readers will enjoy.