For the Love of Kids 2006 Practical Parenting Conference

Michael H. Popkin, Ph.D.

WORKSHOP TITLE: The Discipline Solution:  Setting limits without becoming a dictator or a doormat

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW: The goal of effective discipline is to teach your child to behave within reasonable limits as defined by you, by another in-charge caregiver, by society, or by the basic needs of the situation.   Parents who avoid this often unpleasant task and adopt a permissive style of parenting often end up as “doormats,” allowing their children to walk all over them on their way to becoming spoiled or developing increasingly severe behavior problems.  At the other end of the spectrum, parents who act as reactive “dictators,” cracking down on their children while using a combination of reward and severe punishment, often wind up with kids who either rebel or suffer from diminished self-esteem.  Between these parenting extremes are “Active” Parents, who use an authoritative style of parenting that incorporates a variety of respectful discipline strategies that not only teach children independence within reasonable limits, but also instill such character traits as responsibility, cooperation, and courage.
 
Dr. Michael Popkin, author of Active Parenting Now and Active Parenting of Teens, has appeared on over 200 television programs including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Montel Williams, and as a regular parenting expert on CNN.