Offers guidance to parents and caregivers in selecting and using alternative forms of discipline instead of physical punishment to prevent or correct children’s misbehavior. Parents and caregivers get practical information about: (1) research on the prevalence and effects on children of corporal punishment and the arguments against spanking; (2) the relationship between power and parenting, the problem with oppressive power, and ways of power-sharing with children; (3) different parenting styles, including autocratic, permissive, and positive or democratic: (4) the difference between discipline and punishment, why children misbehave, and how behavior changes as children grow; (5) tips for making discipline effective; (6) strategies for dealing with anger toward a child and tips for dealing with a child’s anger; (7) prevention, guidance, and consequence tools to promote discipline; (8) the importance of nurturing children and encouraging play and creativity; and (9) the benefits of consistency in discipline, limit-setting, and rewards for positive behavior. Parents have effective alternatives to physical punishment that they can use to keep problems from occurring, manage conflict and teach children responsibility, and correct misbehavior while promoting children’s sense of self-control and self-esteem.
