A new post has been published over at the Starlight Baby blog: Understanding Positive Parenting – The Advantages And Disadvantages Would love to hear your thoughts on this topic below!
I think a healthy balance between positive and negative parenting is ideal. Note, this is also true in regards to teaching children. For instance, the best teachers in school were positive whenever they could be that way, but negative when there was no other choice. Anyhow, though, some might criticize this thinking as bleeding heart, so to speak, but it's the best way.
I very much agree with the basic idea that positive parenting with innovative personalized ideas apart from set trends make a difference for sure. I can vouch that from my personal experience that my wife and I made number of experiments and almost all of them paid rich dividend. I think we were better off raising our daughter with most of the couples we personally knew.
Positive parenting the way I understand it is teaching the kids by not pressuring them, by not imposing strict rules and regulations which are beyond or impossible for them to follow, by holding hold-no-bar communication which encourages them to tell their problem open without feeling guilty or afraid. Yes, that is true that the relationship between the parent and the child is edified for there is no fear. Kids are confident to tell their woes and worries for communication is open. As a result both the parent and the child experienced as you have said "happier, healtheir" way of life.
Well surely the idea of positive parenting is something that each person might have their own ideals on, but it is an ideal that we all want to get or at least come close to. It is tough though, so every little bit helps to pick up and learn from.
I am a big fan of positiveness in every area of my life and I encourage my daughters to practice this with their babies. Anything negative is going to have negative results. I'm not saying that anything goes at all, I'm just saying that speaking positively and offering positive rewards for good behavior instead of focusing on the negative is going to pay off. We are teaching our children with everything we do and say and how we act, it's important to raise them with positiveness. It will get them a good head start in life and hopefully it sticks with them throughout their lives.
I agree, @Mika and @freebird37 . Positive parenting would make a difference in the lives of children. I believe it would make them happier and loving adults. And as @Nocturnal Writer said, it opens up communication lines between parents and their child. Just like talking to a friend. I personally would love it if my children would confide in me like they confide to their friends. I'm hoping to get to that level of closeness with my kids.