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Following is my latest article as featured on http://www.yoyomama.ca/ . Check it out.....but first, check out my new hairdo!!! I finally chopped it off after all these years. I just got sooooo sick and tired of the boring 'ole ponytail. As Rob so loving says: "I'm surprised how good it looks." LOL! Hope you like my latest article and hope to hear some article suggestions / ideas from you soon:

We like to start off each month with tips and ideas from our parenting expert, Jenny Schafer of Evolved Parenting. Her monthly columns are designed to help us over common parenting hurdles. This month Jenny answers a question about positive discipline and invites you to email her with your parenting questions as well.

Dear Evolved Parenting,

What do you mean by positive discipline? I’ve read about “positive reinforcements” and “redirecting” techniques and have tried them with my children but they don’t seem to work. My kids always fall back to their bad behaviors. I’m also concerned that I won’t have the time and energy to use these strategies with all three of my children. Also, one of my children has a cognitive disability. Would these strategies work with her?Sherry, Mother of 3

Dear Sherry,

Positive disciplining techniques are ongoing educational aides used by parents with their children to create a peaceful family environment. Positive disciplining strategies guide children toward a high level of self-discipline, self esteem and empowered choices. It is effective in all sizes of families and encourages autonomy in all of your children, regardless of age or abilities. Strategies such as positive reinforcements, redirecting, problem solving, actively listening to your children and “Time-Aways” are some of the positive disciplining techniques Evolved Parenting teaches. These positive techniques prove how disciplining is something parents do with and for children as opposed to being something done to children. Positive disciplining is not difficult or time consuming. It does take practice to re-train your thinking and your words when disciplining your children, but when done consistently you’ll notice a positive difference in your children and in your overall family environment.

Put it into context by thinking about your own self-discipline. A self-disciplined person takes pride in her/his self (mind, body and spirit). Do you live according to a strong moral code and try your best at everything you do on a daily basis? Your level of self-discipline affects your children’s self-discipline. Displaying confidence and pride in yourself will help to encourage a high level of self-discipline in your children.

So what questions do you have for Jenny? Ask away. Who knows, your topic may end up a feature in a future column from Evolved Parenting. Email Jenny at jenny@evolvedparenting.ca or visit her website for more info.
Jenny Schafer, creator of Evolved Parenting, is a mother, social worker, trained daycare provider and former nanny. For more information visit evolvedparenting.ca.