Positive Discipline Success Story - "I Need Your Help"

The following is a success story that was shared on our Positive Discipline Social Network.

So, my 2 year old (25.5 months old) has been giving me such a rough time with diaper changes.  She has always been wiggly, even as a baby, and we do cloth diapers so it takes that much longer to get them on her... Lately it has been awful, where she ends up running around naked for 30 min or more after bath time because I just canNOT capture her long enough to get her diaper and/or jammies on.  (And we have tried potty training, but she is just not ready)

I read in one of the positive discipline resources (can't remember which book or if it was on the internet) the technique of saying "I need your help" instead of trying to MAKE her do it... I was skeptical but tonight was a REALLY rough night, she was overtired and after bath she was just crying and would not hold still.  I tried putting her on the diaper, I tried distracting her with a balloon, I tried giving her a book to read... she ran off and climbed up on the couch.  So, figuring I had nothing to lose, I took a deep breath and said, "Leni, mommy needs your help!" (she looked at me skeptically)  "You need to wear your jammies, but I can't put them on unless you help me.  Can you show me where your arm goes?" (she looked curious but I wasn't sure if she was going to go for it)  "Does your arm go in here?" (I held up the sleeve and she reached her arm out and smiled).  Then I asked her to show me how to put a diaper on and I slid the diaper under her, and she laid still and said "snap" when I snapped it on her... then I put one leg in her jammies, and she put the other leg in herself and said "ZIP!" and I zipped them up!  By that time she had a big grin on her face!

I just had to share because I was SO amazed it actually worked!

Positive Discipline Parenting Classes

We have many Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educators teaching parenting classes around the world. Still we have parents who cannot find a parenting class. Below are some options:


1)  Check our upcoming parenting class page.

2)  You might like to get a few friends and go through the Positive Discipline Workbook together. There is an outline at the beginning of each workbook lesson that can be used as a guideline. You could each get a copy of the Positive Discipline book and follow along.  The Positive Discipline Tool Cards are a great supplement.

3) You might like to take the Training for Teaching Parenting the Positive Discipline Way to become a Certified Positive Discipline Parent Educator so you can teach classes in your area.  Dates and locations of live two-day workshops are available at www.positivediscipline.org

Finally, you may want to sign up for my online parenting class.   The six-session online course includes Positive Discipline video lessons that will teach you the most important, family-changing skills from the Positive Discipline books and live classes.