discipline Archives - Page 2 of 3

Should 2-Year-Olds Be Given Medication for ADHD?

It’s an unsettling trend that’s quickly gaining speed: toddlers are increasingly being prescribed drugs for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

A recent article from the Today Show cites the number of U.S. 2- and 3-year-olds receiving the medication at 10,000.

Are these drugs necessary?

Let’s be honest: toddlers can be a rowdy bunch. It’s not easy to parent during these years and keep up with the constant running, screaming, climbing, and curiosity that’s characteristic of this age.

But when you think about it, toddlers are active because it’s their “job” to play.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, kids, news, parenting May 28, 2014 by Jim Daly

This is Not Why Jesus Died

The New York Times ran an interesting opinion piece this weekend: “Raising a Moral Child.” It was a good piece filled with interesting advice. The principles the author gleaned from various studies easily translated into practical action items parentscould implement in their homes:

Praise the character behind the action.
Teach children to feel guilt, not shame, when they misbehave.
Model good behavior.

And yet, something felt… incomplete. Not with the article itself, mind you – but for us as believers.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, faith, kids, parenting April 16, 2014 by Jim Daly

Is Yelling the New Spanking for Parents? 5 Tips for Screaming-Prone Moms and Dads

Parenting children at any stage can be a real challenge. From the toddler who throws a lay-flat-on-the-floor-and-cry tantrum to the school-age brother and sister who won’t stop fighting, parents regularly navigate a wide array of situations that require dealing with unacceptable behavior.

The Today Show recently ran an interesting post exploring a growing trend among parents to manage these discipline issues through screaming rather than spanking. Maybe this tendency is due to a growing reluctance among some moms and dads to use spanking as a tool of discipline.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, kids, parenting March 12, 2014 by Jim Daly

VIDEO: Troubled Boy Has a Dad-Sized Hole in His Heart

This 39-second clip demonstrates the need for engaged dads more than a thousand research papers ever could.

In 1998, the Jenny Jones Show aired an episode titled “Boot Camp my Pre-Teen” featuring a former Marine trying to shape up seemingly incorrigible boys.

The show takes an unexpected twist, however, when the drill sergeant asks a 10-year-old a question:

“Do you want me to be your daddy for the next eight years, son?”

Undoubtedly, the tough Marine thinks the idea will scare the child.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, kids, parenting December 3, 2013 by Jim Daly

The Secret Parents Don’t Want their Kids to Know

Children, please turn away from the computer.

Here’s the secret: moms and dads aren’t perfect.

Sometimes we hurt our kids’ feelings with the things we say, often without even knowing it.

Authors Tim and Darcy Kimmel wanted to be sure to deal with any resentment their actions caused, so they did something brave. They created a safe opportunity for their children to be completely candid and to point out areas where mom and dad weren’t “practicing what they preached.”

It worked like this:

And this is how “What’s Your Beef?” nights began at the Kimmel home.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, kids, parenting April 5, 2013 by Jim Daly

Three Ways to Change Your Child’s Negative Attitude

Has your child’s attitude soured recently?

According to our counselors here at Focus, a common motivation for a child’s negativity is simply to get attention. If you suspect this is your child’s goal, there are a few ways to teach him or her not to complain.

1. Don’t reward his negative behavior

When he starts to grumble, tell him you’re sorry he feels that way. Then go about your business.

2. Reinforce a positive outlook

If your child shows the slightest enthusiasm, give him a smile, praise him, and let him know how much you appreciate his upbeat attitude.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, kids, parenting March 19, 2013 by Jim Daly

Check Your Motives

Sometimes we might do what’s right—but for the wrong (usually selfish) reason.

I’m reminded of the story of the philosopher Diogenes.

He was once seen sitting on a curb eating lentils and bread, a meager meal by any standard. A fellow philosopher, Aristippus, a man who lived well because he flattered the king, approached him and mocked his circumstance.

“If you would learn to be subservient to the king,” he snarled, “you would not have to live on lentils.”

Diogenes looked up with a smile, tilted his head, and replied, “Learn to live on lentils, and you will not have to cultivate the king.”

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, faith, relationships September 19, 2012 by Jim Daly

The Strangest Secret

Over sixty years ago, Earl Nightingale, a former United States Marine who had been one of only twelve survivors of the bombing of the U.S.S. Arizona at Pearl Harbor, struck upon an idea.

At the time of his epiphany, he was an announcer at the legendary Chicago radio station WGN. Residents of the Windy City were drawn to his soothing, sonorous voice. But it was off the air, while reading a book by Napoleon Hill, a well-known motivational writer and speaker of that era, that Nightingale’s revelation came to him, like “a bolt out of the blue,” he said.

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, faith, relationships September 17, 2012 by Jim Daly

If You Think You Don’t Have Time to Read

Once upon a time in the dead of winter in the Dakota Territory, Theodore Roosevelt took off in a makeshift boat down the Little Missouri River in pursuit of a couple of thieves who had stolen his prized rowboat. After several days on the river, he caught up and got the draw on them with his trusty Winchester, at which point they surrendered. Then Roosevelt set off in a borrowed wagon to haul the thieves cross-country to justice.

Topics: Current Events Tags: discipline, news, pop culture August 23, 2012 by Jim Daly

Nine Ways To Growing Old More Happily

The wise person, as he grows older, must turn to the perfecting of his creative and appreciative abilities, which mellow and improve with age. He must take inventory of his personality, realizing that whatever it is now, so it will tend to be in later years, multiplied many times.

[If you want to grow older happily] Ask yourself these nine determinative questions:

Am I self-centered, or do I take other people’s needs and desires into account as well as my own?

Topics: Family and Home Tags: discipline, faith July 1, 2012 by Jim Daly