Scientifically supported parenting

Scientifically supported parenting interventions for young defiant children have found that timeouts and other types of assertive tactics can work if they're administered correctly," explained researcher Robert Larzelere, PhD, of Oklahoma State University. Larzelere's research team interviewed 102 mothers about five separate occasions they had to discipline their kids for whining, hitting, not listening and being defiant. When the mothers were then interviewed two months later, those who offered compromises too frequently to the children who were hitting or acting defiant said their children were acting worse, according to Larzelere.Reasoning, however, was most effective over time for these ankle-biters, even though it was the least effective response immediately.