something the child is not thrilled about having to do in the first
place.
In addition, if encouraging positive behavior in kids requires more
motivation from the kids, it’s also going to require more motivation
from Mom and Dad. As you’ll soon see, putting an end to Stop
behavior by counting is relatively easy if you do it right. Start
behavior requires more sophisticated tactics.
In managing a behavioral difficulty with one of your children, you
will need to first determine if you have a Stop or a Start behavior
problem. “Is the issue something I want the child to quit? Or is it
something I want him or her to get going on?” Since counting is so
easy, parents sometimes make the mistake of using counting for Start
behavior (for example, counting a child to get her to do her
homework).
As you will soon see, counting produces motivation that usually
lasts only a short time (from a few seconds to a couple of minutes) in
children and does not provide the lasting motivation needed to get a
child to continue desired behavior. If you mix up your tactics (such as
using the counting technique for homework), you will not get
optimum results.
But don’t worry. This whole procedure is so simple that you’ll be
an expert in no time. Effective discipline will start to come naturally
and—believe it or not—your kids will start listening to you.
Parenting Job 3: Strengthening Your Relationships
Your final parenting job is to work on strengthening your relationship
with your kids. This means making sure that screen time does not
replace face-to-face time. More importantly, strengthening
relationships means that you value enjoying one another’s company.
It is critical to your family’s well-being and to your kids’ self-esteem