CATCH  THEM  BEING  GOOD

Evening Event for Parents and Teachers

To raise a child and to teach a child is a sacred task and yet most parents and teachers have more training in how to operate the washing machine than how to help a child grow in the best and most positive way.

 Wrong Way:  Most of us don't pay attention to the child until he does something wrong. Then we punish him in some way by yelling or scolding or hitting hoping we are teaching him not to do it again. The problem is that punishment for doing it wrong does not help the child in learning how to do it right. What happens is that the child becomes afraid to do anything at all because he might be punished. Curiosity and spontaneity are suppressed. 

Right Way:  Catch the child being good and then reward them for it. The reward is different for every child. For one it is a hug, for another it is staying up later, etc. For example, let us say you have a noisy, hyperactive child that gives you no rest and drives you up the wall. Yelling and spanking do not help. That child is not noisy 24 hours a day. There will be moments in which he is quiet or resting or moving in a relaxed and peaceful way. That is when you catch him being good and reward him. He learns the right way. He increases his good behavior and the bad behavior will become less and fade away. His curiosity and spontaneity remain and his childhood becomes a happier time. 

You Will Learn: You will learn how rewards work and punishments do not. You will learn how, when and where to reward good behavior. You will learn how to give commands that are easier to follow and to avoid the common traps all parents and teachers fall into such as 'negative suggestion.'  To tell the child not to run into the street is not as effective as to tell the child to stay in the yard. You will learn about positive intention and how to turn negative behavior into its positive form. You will learn to be sensitive to your child's true nature instead of expecting something of them that they are not and cannot ever be.

 We Will Learn Together:  Many heads are better than one. Yes, Dr. Vidmar will share his knowledge from being a school psychologist for 20 years, but, more important, we will learn from each other. First, we learn the principles of Catch Them Being Good and then we share with each other individual problems and situations where they can be used. We brainstorm with each other and share our ideas and experiences. Together we help our children to have happier lives and fulfill their highest potential.