The Power of Parents’ Words and Actions

Our programs “light the way” to a Positive Parenting Experience

As a parent, your words and actions have the power to shape the way your child views themselves and the behaviors they mimic as they grow up. Navigating the ever-changing path of parenthood is hard, but Champions for Children is here to light the way to a positive parenting journey. We provide families with the tools you need to develop strong and secure relationships with your children while building positive childhood experiences for them along the way.

Here are a few tips to help make a positive parenting experience for you and your little one.

4 Positive Parenting Tips

Positive Reinforcement 

Positive reinforcement involves recognizing your child’s good behavior with verbal praise, loving touches, or other tangible rewards. You want to build your child up by highlighting all of the good things they do on a daily basis. You don’t want to only give your child feedback when they have done something wrong.

When giving positive reinforcement, it’s good to make eye contact, say the good thing they have done, and even mention how it made you feel. For example, instead of just using the praise, “I’m so proud of you!”, you can try saying, “You cleaned up all of your toys on your own, good job! You make so feel so proud”. You can even top it off with a hug and/or their favorite snack.

Your Child vs. Their Behavior

All children go through moments where they do not act like themselves. Your normally sweet and gentle child is now biting friends at school, or fighting with their sibling. When things like this arise, be sure to speak to who you know your child is versus the behavior they are exhibiting.

You can start by telling your child that you know they are a kind person who is fun to play with and that the behavior they are showing doesn’t represent who you know they are as a person.
Speak calmly and lead with empathy, recognizing that they have feelings too. Use positive language and avoid using violent language or threats.

Giving Directions

Does your child have a hard time following your directions? Even the most well-behaved child can have a hard time listening to their parent’s requests. It can become frustrating when you have to repeat yourself multiple times, but be sure to keep your demeanor calm.

Focusing on giving directions positively versus negatively can make all the difference. For example, instead of saying, “Stop yelling” you can say, “Use your little voice, please.” Or, instead of saying, “Shut up”, you can say, “It’s quiet time.”

Owning Mistakes

Parenting is hard and it doesn’t come with a handbook. It can be an emotional rollercoaster of joys and happiness, but also frustration and anxiety. If you ever get to a point where you lose your temper or say something you regret to your little one, a simple “I’m sorry” goes a long way. This shows your child that parents aren’t perfect and that developing a happy and healthy relationship with them is your #1 priority.

Ready to Learn More?

At Champions, Our Positive Parenting & Partnership (P3) program helps parents learn the skills to be the best parent they can be! The program has a free 8-week workshop to help parents gain the tools, skills, and confidence they need to improve their family relationships, like encouraging positive behavior, managing problem behavior, improving communication, and resolving conflicts. To learn more and sign up, visit: https://cfctb.org/program/positive-parenting-partnership/

If you’re looking for more positive parenting tips, check out our other blogs below:

3 Positive Parenting Tips
Tips for Positive Parenting

April also happens to be #ChildAbusePreventionMonth – and all month long, you can also help “light the way” for others in our community by visiting cfctb.org/capmonth to learn more, donate, or help spread the word about our proven programs. Now through April 27th, donations of $300+ will even be matched dollar-for-dollar!