This group will look at ways to *positively* interact with our children with a focus on clear communication and reinforcement. The list owners and many participants are proponents of Behavior Analysis and operant conditioning techniques with an emphasis on positive reinforcement. We look for ways to avoid punishment-based discipline.

Successful trainers, whether of children or animals, must be exceptional communicators and by neccessity must be able to identify problems in their own individual behavior which influences those around them for better or for worse. They look for things to reinforce rather than to punish.

When positive trainers are presented with an unwanted behavior, they ask themselves what behavior they would prefer to see instead, and work toward training that behavior. While punishment can stop some behaviors for the time being, the behaviors usually return to the void left where the bad behavior was. By training a preferred behavior, the "bad" behavior oten goes away on its own.

By using positive reinforcement, parents and trainers often become more self-aware and desire to share their *new outlook* with the world around them. In this forum we are specifially discussing how this new and effective attitude can be of help to parents.

Moderators will keep the list on track by eliminating any inappropriate emails or files and banning those who post them. Inappropriate posts include all advertising that has not been cleared by the moderators, personal attacks and ideological attacks that the moderators deem beyond the scope of this list's purpose.
We welcome you to join our group.