Improving Parenting Styles: The Power of Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is one of the pillars of Family Education’s 12 Disciplinary Elements, and is largely based on these two premises:

1. Kids want approval for who they are and what they do; and
2. Kids want to please you.

By using positive reinforcement to highlight what your children are doing right, you are effectively encouraging them to do it consistently — to the point that it becomes second nature to them. However, it can’t be a one-time-only thing; if you want your children to develop good behavior, you will need to reinforce it continuously.

What’s more, there’s science behind positive reinforcement. According to Very Well Mind, it is part of operant conditioning, in which learning occurs through rewards and punishments for behavior. There are many layers to this learning method, and studying patterns of human conduct can help us develop a versatile knowledge of how people of all ages work. Having a better understanding of these principles can help you recognize the contextual nuances of everyday behavior. When paying more attention to how you reward and reinforce certain actions, you can enhance your own awareness of your children’s feelings and motives. In doing so, you will be able to foster a strong bond with your children and inculcate in them the values that will make them respectable adults in the future.