Many parents report feeling uncertain how to respond to their children when new situations arise requiring extra guidance. Think about which of the following statements best fits your parenting style:

A. "Mostly I react to my children’s misbehavior when I get so fed up I can’t stand it and usually it blows up into the kind of big mess I was trying to avoid by not doing anything."

B. "Sometimes the way I discipline my kids seems to work okay but often I’m not sure what to do. When I finally do something, I often over-react and later back down on what I told the kids I would do."

C. "Usually what I do works pretty well with my children but when new situations come up I sometimes don’t know what to do and I end up doing something I later wish I hadn’t."

D. "I have a pretty well worked out approach to discipline and respond to new challenges in a way that works for me and my children most of the time, but in some situations I am unsure what to do."

E. "I have a very clear plan for discipline so no matter what comes along, I know how to respond and I am confident that what I do will achieve the desired results in a reasonable amount of time."

How to Raise Disciplined and Happy Children was developed while working with parents who described little success when trying to deal with new discipline challenges with no real plan or approach to guide them.

Sneak peek: The book presents both the principles of behavior and behavior change and a detailed plan for applying those principles in your own home – to meet your own family goals.

Bonus sneak peek: After initial time setting up the program, most families find that they spend far less time on discipline and that their family life is far more pleasant and enjoyable. 

There is a good deal of controversy about how children are disciplined, both at home and at school. Careful listening to the arguments makes it clear that "discipline" is a word that is used in a variety of ways. Which of the following best fits your own idea about its meaning?

A. To punish or penalize in order to gain control or enforce obedience.

B. To correct or train by infliction of punishment.

C. To teach to obey rules or accept authority.

D. To bring to a state of order and obedience by training and control.

E. To develop or improve a skill through a schedule of a specific activity or exercise.

F. To develop behavior by instruction and practice, especially to teach self-control.

How to Raise Disciplined and Happy Children discusses various ideas about discipline and presents an effective alternative free of angry interchanges between parents and kids.

Sneak peek: The book is built on the conclusion that discipline is not the same thing as punishment and on the solid evidence that punishment is neither required nor very effective in teaching children to take responsibility for their own behavior.

Bonus sneak peek: The book also demonstrates effective methods of discipline that rely on helping children do the right thing in the first place, rather than waiting for them to make mistakes and then penalizing them for it.

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