I was alerted by Maureen Denard of FindaNanny.net about her article on 10 iPhone apps that can be used for disciplining techniques.
As we are still struggling with the Terrible
Tantrums, I always welcome positive parenting ideas for handling discipline.
I don't have an iPhone, but the Ipad can be used just as successfully to download the apps.
I haven't tried all the apps yet, but I am looking forward to try out each one of them.
The write-up against each app is by Maureen Denard.
10 iPhone apps that help with discipline:
Positive Parenting Practices – "This $3.99 app is geared
towards parents who espouse a more lenient, gentle approach to discipline.
Positive Parenting Practices is more than an app detailing disciplinary
methods, offering valuable insights into the motivation behind kids’ problem
behavior and real-life solutions."
KidChart – "Charts are great tools for tracking kids’
accomplishments, chores and behavior. Unfortunately, they’re also rather
difficult to carry in your pocket. That’s where this $0.99 app comes in,
putting the power of a full-sized paper chart at your fingertips. KidChart is
also an effective way to monitor kids’ daily behavior for later discussion,
when cooler heads allow for constructive conversation."
hAPPy Family – "Encouraging positive behavior on the go is
easy with this powerful app, which rewards kids with collectible marbles, ocean
animals, treasures, insects or candy when they make the right choices."
iGrounded – "Teenagers are notorious for pushing boundaries a
bit too far in a bid to assert their burgeoning independence. A game of
consequences that you’re able to edit and modify to suit your teen’s individual
needs, iGrounded is available in the app store for $0.99."
iReward – "The customizable motivational charts provided by
this $4.99 app are designed for use by parents, caregivers and educators to
reward good behavior. Traditional rewards, like gold stars, are among the
options offered by this simple but powerful application."
Timeout – Ultimate Discipline Tool – "Tracking the length of
a timeout to provide kids a visual representation of how long they are
sentenced to this punishment is a snap with this application. The app isn’t
loaded with extra features, but it does deliver exactly what it promises."
Tymoot – "Designed by a parent for parents, Tymoot is a $0.99
app that helps you create and set timeout timers. However, there’s a bit more
to this one than meets the eye due to the Wheel of Discipline feature that
allows your children to spin the virtual wheel in order to be “sentenced” to
one of eight customizable punishments."
Caught Being Good – "The free CAUGHT BEING GOOD app takes the
spinning wheel of chance approach to rewarding kids for undirected good
behavior. You can change, add or remove any reward, and also set the
probability of a particular one appearing. Surprising your child with an
unsought reward for good behavior that you have not requested or directed is an
effective method of encouraging her to continue on the right path, even when
she doesn’t think you’re there to see her."
Positive Discipline – "Rather than a traditional punishment
and rewards systems, the Positive Discipline approach relies upon a
motivational system that helps kids to develop strong moral fiber, character
and a sense of self-reliance. Encourage a sense of connection with the
respectful, encouraging tone that motivates kids to make the right decisions in
their daily lives, autonomously."
Rich Kids – Behavior & Reward Contracts for Child Discipline – "This $2.99 app combines positive reinforcement parenting tactics
with a method of teaching the fundamentals of financial responsibility that
helps kids grow into the well-rounded, well-adjusted adults they were meant to
become. Suggested for kids between the ages of three and 15, Rich Kids is an
effective tracking and incentive tool."
I think all of these apps need to be tested in your own family environment, with the input from the child. The more buy-in from the child, the more successful it will be. Of course the buy-in should be from the parents as well!
I like the Caught being Good app for being able to customise the rewards and being able to "bank" some of them until possible to complete or buy the reward! I also like the fact that the focus is on catching out being good, and not focusing on the negative!
I will let you know how it works!
