Discipline That Works: Promoting Self-Discipline in Children [Paperback]

Dr. Thomas Gordon, author of the phenomenal bestseller P.E.T., expands the system he developed to help parents to encompass teachers and childcare workers. In Discipline That Works, Dr. Gordon provides convincing evidence that punitive discipline is harmful to children and promotes self-destructive behavior and anti-social, aggressive acts. Instead, he offers an important new strategy to help children become more self-reliant, make positive decisions, and control their own behavior.Introduction: The Discipline Debate
Part I. Understanding DisciplineChapter 1: Defining Terms and Clarifying Meanings
The Noun and the Verb
Teaching Versus Controlling
Other-Imposed Discipline Versus Self-Discipline
A Disagreement About Limits
Should I Be Strict or Lenient?
The Multiple Meanings of Authority
The Myth of Benevolent Authority
Chapter 2: The Traditional Reward-and-Punish Approach
Where Do Controllers Get Their Power?
How Rewards Are Supposed to Work
How Punishment Is Supposed to Work
The Conditions for Controlling with Rewards and Punishments
External Versus Internal Control
Chapter 3: Why We Can't Count on Rewards Working
The Technology of Controlling with Rewards
Difficulties Parents and Teachers Encounter with Rewards
A Deeper Analysis of Praise
Effective Alternatives to Praise
Chapter 4: The Deficiencies and Dangers of Punishment
It Takes Expertise to Make Punishment Work
Punishment Is Acceptable if It's Mild
The Risks of Making Punishment Severe
When the Cat's Away...
How Punishment Fosters Aggresion and Violence
Adults Inevitably Run Out of Punishments
To the Controller, Power Comes at a Price
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