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Show Notice parents: here's discipline that works By BETTY CONDIE President Utah Education Association This column continues a series on discipline that works. Remember, changing or establishing estab-lishing parental discipline is a long, slow, often tedious process. The important thing is to form a clear objective, then take a few steps at a time in that direction. Set rules that you think are important im-portant and be firm in seeing that your children follow them. Above all, do not make rules you have no intention of enforcing. Children have a great need for parents who are sure of their own values and who are willing to back them up. Of course, children also need to know that they are worth while and lovable to their parents and to others. Teachers try to follow the admonition admo-nition "Be firm, fair and friendly." That's a good motto for parents, as well. Another positive discipline step is to encourage responsible decision de-cision making. Whenever possible, find areas in which you know your children can make decisions for themselves. If your child approaches you with a request you feel you should deny, try saying, ""What would you say if you were in my place? What should I say? What would be may reason?" Every child every human being-needs and wants to exercise her or his own individuality and autonomy. Parents can decide what areas are comfortably left to the child's freedom of choice and what areas are subject to parental discretion. To try to control every aspect of the child's life not only smothers the child's sense of worth, but it also causes the parents pa-rents to waste time and effort on things that are not really essential. You'll find that if you treat children chil-dren as responsible individuals, their level of responsibility increases in-creases rapidly. |