We believe intentional parenting is
- Looking at the end result (what kind of relationship do we want with our child when he/she is an adult and what skills does he/she need)
- What can we implement now to get as close as we can to those goals?
Good parenting doesn’t usually happen on its own. But intentional parenting can be the difference between parenting with confidence and feeling like you don’t know what you are doing.
Plus, when you are dealing with challenging behaviors you not only need a robust approach but there must be a strong element of support to guide you on the path.
Here is the intentional parenting approach we use for long-term change:
Is holistic and multidimensional—behavioral therapy that uses a lot of tools that help the child move from negative behavior to positive relational behavior.
It is not focused on stopping the behavior as much as on helping YOU deal with the core issues driving the behaviors. Behavior is communication and often indicates a disturbance in the health and well-being of the child and the family. Understanding core issues helps you frame expectations for the future.
Centers on helping to change brain wiring in the child. This requires a change in:
- how the behaviors are handled
- the responses you implement
- the responses required from the child
Uses applied behavior analysis to give tools for building executive functioning skills, impulse control, and effective communication.
Encourages the family to develop together: physical work together, meals together, teaching the children to rely on the parents and increased and more productive family time together.