Why Rewards and Punishments Do not Work - and what actually does

On-Demand Class · Emotions & Behavior

All children need clear and firm boundaries. But there's a lot of confusion between consequences, punishments, and rewards. In this session, you'll learn to differentiate them and identify what's most effective in discipline.

Class Description

We've been punishing our children for thousands of years. From the countless harsh punishments described in the Bible to the total permissiveness advocated by some educators today. Punishing isn't easy. No one likes to punish, and no one likes to be punished. So why do we punish? We normally seek to change behavior through positive reinforcement (rewards) to encourage some behaviors; and negative reinforcement (punishments) to try to eradicate others. But are these the most effective ways to change a habit? In reality, we don't want to punish for the sake of punishment. What we seek is to EDUCATE. In this class, we will analyze punishments in depth. We will look at the effects they have on children from a physical and psychological perspective. We will analyze the most typical punishments and propose better alternatives. We'll also look at how punishments should evolve as our children grow. In this class, we'll learn how consequences have short- and long-term effects and how they make us more effective when we educate and discipline.

Class Materials

Notetaking suplies

Your Instructor

Bibiana Giraldo

Bibiana Giraldo is a mother, wife, and teacher with a Bachelor’s degree in education and 22 years of experience in the education field. She is the founder of BePresent, an organization that educates individuals, parents, adolescents, children and educational institutions about parenting challenges, emotional wellbeing, and mental health, through the practices of Conscious Parenting, Conscious Discipline and Mindfulness. Some of her goals include promoting Mindfulness in Education, and helping parents reduce stress and strengthen their relationship with their children through Mindfulness in Conscious Discipline and Parenting. She facilitates the Mindfulness in Education course at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. In addition, she creates personalized sessions for individuals, parents, adolescents and children, in which she teaches strategies for reducing stress, coping with anxiety and trauma, cultivating resilience and emotional intelligence, and improving general emotional, mental and physical lives.

Degrees and Certifications

Mindfulness instructor certified by the Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center of the University of California, Berkeley. Certified to teach Mindfulness in education and parenting by the American organization Mindful Life™

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