Happier lives. Less stress. Family harmony. That's what all parents of children with challenging behaviour want. Learn how to get there with this groundbreaking guide to confident, skillful, and positive parenting. A book you'll want to share with every family you know, Optimistic Parenting helps parents and other caregivers develop more positive thoughts and perceptions – a key ingredient of successful parenting and effective behaviour management. With keen insight, gentle humour, and practical tools and strategies, Mark Durand delivers both philosophical hope and practical help to parents of children with a wide range of challenges. He guides parents step by step through the process of:
• Pinpointing the "why" behind challenging behaviour.
• Tuning in to their own thoughts, emotions, and self-talk.
• Understanding how their thoughts affect their interactions with their child.
• Interrupting negative thoughts and replacing them with positive, productive ones.
• Achieving a healthy balance between taking care of their own needs and their child's needs.
• Using effective emergency strategies when quick behaviour intervention is needed.
• Implementing long-term strategies for lasting behaviour improvements.
• Weaving functional communication training into everyday routines and interactions.
• Addressing the most common problem areas, such as sleep and transitions.
• Increasing mindfulness and parenting "in the moment".
Engaging stories from the author's extensive experience illustrate how parents and other caregivers can develop more effective behaviour management techniques. And practical tools and exercises, developed and tested during Durand's decades of work with thousands of parents, help families on their own journey to better parenting and happier lives. A lifeline for overwhelmed parents – and a great source of insight for the professionals who work with them – this highly motivating guidebook will help families reduce children's challenging behaviours and approach the future with optimism and confidence.
