Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing - 02 | Why We Start with Praise to Change Behavior – with Dr. Alan Kazdin

Why start a parenting course with praise instead of discipline? In this short but powerful lesson, Dr. Alan Kazdin explains why praise is the first and most impactful tool in your parenting toolkit. Learn how praise, when used correctly, can create quick, visible changes in your child’s behavior and lay the foundation for long-term habits. It’s not just about saying “good job.” It’s about learning to praise in a way that actually works. 🎯 Learning Objectives • Understand why praise is introduced at the beginning of the course • Learn the difference between casual praise and effective, behavior-changing praise • Recognize how praise can “lock in” desired behaviors • Practice applying praise as a low-effort, high-impact parenting technique • Begin using praise intentionally to see quick changes in your child 📚 About the Course Everyday Parenting gives you access to a toolkit of behavior-change techniques that will make your typical day in the home easier as you develop the behaviors you would like to see in your child. The lessons provide step-by-step instructions and demonstrations to improve your course of action with both children and adolescents. Among many techniques, you will learn how even simple modifications to tone of voice and phrasing can lead to more compliance. The course will also shed light on many parenting misconceptions and ineffective strategies that are routinely used. The key to the course is practice. It is not enough to know the strategies; you have to do them to reap the rewards. Using the techniques on a temporary basis will lead to permanent change. Chances are your parenting is perfectly fine and working the way you would like. But if you have any frustrations with your child or would like improve your effectiveness in changing your child’s behavior, these videos will be a very useful guide. 📺 Watch the full playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh9mgdi4rNeyEGNxBvNdOVlianDYgWuc9&si=WvX4JltzYzj7faKi 🎓 Enroll on Coursera for assessments and a certificate: https://www.coursera.org/learn/everyday-parenting 🌐 Explore more learning opportunities on Yale Online: https://online.yale.edu/courses/everyday-parenting-abcs-child-rearing