Positivity and Discipline

Positivity is like a magnet. People are drawn to the positive and repelled by the negative. This simple truth about human nature is so important that it forms the first part of the foundation for the Raise Responsibility System.

Positivity has power, especially when you’re attempting to discipline youth. Positivity is an attitude that, with practice, you can develop for yourself and with your children. When you do, you will be amazed at how your stress becomes significantly reduced, your effectiveness increased, and your relationships improved.

Here are 4 facts about positivity and the impact it has on discipline:

• Negative comments provoke negative attitudes. Positive comments prompt positive attitudes. Keep discipline positive by always speaking in positive terms.
• The pictures people paint in their minds drive their behaviors. The brain thinks in pictures, not words. Make sure your words paint a positive pictures in the child’s mind. When children have positive images in their mind, the need for discipline diminishes.
• Positivity prompts people to feel valued, supported, respected, capable, and proud. When children feel that they matter and are respected, they naturally want to behave and do good things.
• Positivity brings hope. Why focus on the negative—on the problems—when you can fill your head with positivity—with solutions? As parents and teachers, we have a responsibility to model positivity. Hope and optimism can be learned. They are teachable, and they help children feel in control of their circumstances, which leads to responsible behavior.