5 Positive Parenting Skills
Put a Smile on Your Face
Facial expressions are important, and convincing your child that you're not angry when there's clearly a scowl on your face is going to be a tough sell. Chances are, if you're annoyed, frustrated, or exasperated, it'll be written all over your face if you don't make an effort to control your expressions. When you feel your sunny disposition faltering, teach yourself to keep a smile on your face. Sometimes it may feel more like a grimace, but to your child it will be a reassuring reminder that everything is okay.
Take a Break
All parents get caught up in the moment from time to time. When adrenaline kicks in, tempers can flare with undesirable results if you don't have a backup plan. When your negative emotions start to get the better of you, step away for a minute or two. Avoid making important decisions about discipline when you're feeling upset. There's nothing wrong with being displeased and deferring punishment until you've had a chance to calm down.
Choose Nonconfrontational Discipline Techniques
Discipline that takes the form of a timeout or withdrawn privilege is more likely to be effective over time that a more aggressive solution, like a spanking. Children learn by example, and angry behavior, like corporal punishment and yelling, can teach lessons too... negative lessons. Positive parenting skills are all about finding nurturing solutions to behavioral problems and resolving conflicts creatively.
Develop Your Toolkit
Develop a disciplinary toolkit that works for both you and your child. This could include a combination of time outs, discussions, and creative diversion techniques that will allow you to divert your child's attention away from negative behaviors without addressing them directly.
Discipline through activity works well for some children too. It's a way to open new vistas in your child's life by introducing him to activities as a responsible participant with you as a mentor. This could take the form of chores, like pulling weeds in the garden or helping with the laundry, which begin as discipline but morph into a meaningful interaction between the two of you. This is particularly effective if you think your child may be misbehaving because he craves attention or has an excess of creative energy.
Keep an Open Mind
Positive parenting skills don't all materialize at once, and taking the time to be observant and open minded will allow you to adapt your strategies as your child develops. Keeping an open mind will also allow you to be a little more tolerant of your own actions and give you the incremental encouragement and reassurance all parents need to some degree or other.
Taken from : http://www.superpages.com/supertips/positive-parenting-skills.html
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