Parenting doesn’t come with a manual. Figuring out how to navigate your child’s temper tantrums, picky eating and discipline can be very challenging.

Active parenting techniques provide support for discovering your parenting style, recharging your parenting battery and learning effective communication and discipline methods.

Active parenting is being proactive. Instead of waiting until your child does something wrong, teach values that become a foundation for their character as they grow.

Using your stern voice and counting to three isn’t always the best way to influence kids’ behavior. A more effective way is to make polite requests, use “I” messages, firm reminders and enforce logical consequences.

Think of the difference between  “I feel very disappointed when you don’t clean up your messes” versus “You have to the count of three to pick up your crayons.”

“I” statements avoid putting your child on the defensive or creating a power struggle. If your child still doesn’t listen, bring in the stern voice: “Please pick up your crayons now.” If she still refuses, she has made a choice that has a negative consequence — for instance, losing the crayons for two days.