Alternatives to Punishment: Positive Discipline for Happier, Stronger Kids

From early human history, punishment has been a dominant tool used by parents, educators, and governments. Most of us grow up with the belief that people act based on two main motivations — pain or pleasure. The classic “carrots and sticks” model seems to govern human behaviour, and for many families, this model continues to shape the way children are raised. There are alternatives to punishment.

Punishment is not simply a behavioural tool. Punishment is a manipulation strategy, often disguised as “teaching a lesson.” We use it to make others behave in a way that suits us, even when we say it is for their own good. When we punish children, we attempt to arrange life to meet our needs — not theirs.

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Kindness to Yourself: The Secret to Raising Happy, Resilient Kids

Woman holding a red heart decoration for kindness day

Last week was World Kindness Day, and every year, when the date comes around, I can’t help but smile. But I also can’t help thinking, Why only one day? If there’s anything families need right now, it’s more kindness — not just for others, but especially kindness to yourself.

In my coaching work at Be Happy in Life and in the countless conversations I’ve had with parents over the years, this theme keeps coming up again and again. Parents want their kids to be confident, happy, and emotionally strong — but they forget that the journey starts with the emotional environment inside themselves.

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The Art of Relationships

I have been working with children, families and in the education space for over 38 years, and written many articles on many topics related to education, personal development, relationships, families, empowerment, leadership and parenting. This blog alone has over 1,400 original articles that I have written over the years.

During those years, I have been asked many questions about my philosophy and in this series, I wish to bring to you my philosophy about different topics in an interview format. Questions and Answers and today’s topic is “Art of relationship” as I see it.

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Take Control: Choose to be Better, Not Bitter

Same person appearing twice looking in opposite directions

Control is something every human being wants. Adler once said that all human problems are the result of lack of control and/or lack of attention. Control plays a huge part of our life and to gain it, people will override many of their values, their dignity, wellbeing and even their humanity. Control is important to our existence.

Let’s be real. The only reason we want control is because… we feel out of control. Why is that? Why do humans feel out of control?

Well, the simple reason is that we are born like that. We start our life without any sense of control and from that moment on, our life journey is an awakening to the realization that even our death, is out of our control.

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Make Every Day a Special Day

Special day - a happy family on the beach

Growing up in a family that can’t enjoy the present and thinks joy can only come later, one day (maybe!) can do lots of damage to your kids. Not enjoying the things you have, focusing on trying to impress others, and saving everything “for a special day” takes a lot of energy.

This was the family I grew up in, and I had to change it, for my sake and the sake of my children.

Using my own medicine and walking the talk, I have used my own techniques of writing goals and changing attitude from “One special day” to “Every day is a special day”, and I set new family goals that changed our family life forever.

Here is my story.

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Increase Your Confidence Through Kindness

Woman looking at clouds spelling Believe in Yourself

We all want to be confident and raise confident children. In my workshops, when I ask parents to grant their kids four wishes, confidence is high on their list. Confidence is the faith we have that things will happen in a certain way or that we’ll manage whatever happens. It is a sense of satisfaction or happiness about things that happened or about to happen.

Most parents are very surprised when I tell them that kindness is a fantastic way to boost our confidence, so, let me show you what the connection is.

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I Didn’t Know I Was Already an Artist!

A very common question I ask all my clients is, “What would you do if you had no money constraints and didn’t have to work?” It is a good question because it allows the mind to free itself from the constraints of life and allows itself to want, simply want.

In life, instead of learning to want and go for our dreams, we learn to comply, to suppress our wants and do what is expected of us. We are born dreamers. Research says that this is at its peak when we are about 5 years old, starts to decline around 8 and reaches total devastation around 16 years old. By that stage, what seems hard is a “sign” we are not capable of achieving our dreams.

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Formal vs. Informal Learning: Which is The Best During COVID-19?

Girl with mask saying 'Welcome back to school'

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents ask themselves if formal education is enough to give their kids what they need. What was normal before COVID-19 is not the same now. I suggest informal learning instead.

I believe many good things came out of COVID-19. For example, some of my nephews blossomed with remote learning. Unfortunately, some of them, who had been brilliant students before, just collapsed.

Lately, the parents of many of the children I coach told me of real challenges at home. I believe this difficult period highlights challenges each family already had before. The uncertainty, the restrictions, the financial burden, and the isolation just added more pressure into the system and the system no longer copes.

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How to Inspire Your Kids’ Natural Kindness

Toddles showing natural kindness to baby

Humans are kind in nature. Just watch young children. They are born with natural kindness. This is the main reason it’s so wonderful to be around children. They constantly give and engage in a way that makes you want to give in return.

Research has found that kindness is contagious. If you want to see it in action, try smiling at people as you pass them on the street. Smiling is an act of kindness! And when you smile, people smile back.

When babies see a puppet show with kind and affectionate characters, followed by rude and mean ones, they prefer the kind puppets. Yes, they were just babies. But they have an innate ability to mirror their surroundings. They can notice the tone of the voice and actions.

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The Truth about Why We Send Our Kids to School

There is a point in every parent’s journey where you ask yourself, “Why do I send my kids to school?” Over the last 33 years, I’ve worked with many parents. And I can tell you that most of them didn’t have a good answer to this question.

Have you ever reached this point in your parenting?

What was your answer?

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