[blparent] Seeking effective, yet positive ways to discipline children

[Jennifer Bose]

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Hi, blind parents.

I hope this email finds you all well.

My husband and I are looking for effective ways to handle situations
when we're feeling challenged by our small children. We have two
daughters, one who's almost five and the other who turned two in
April. They're wonderful. I'd like to start a discussion about
suggestions for being effective as blind parents when we really need
them to stop challenging behaviors. I'm realizing how situational this
is, now that I'm writing it. My point is that without the benefit of
really being able to establish good eye contact all that well, we'd
like to let them know to stop a particular behavior (dumping the dirt
out of a plant pot, for example, or throwing a tantrum because they
can't have ice cream exactly when they want it). In moments when we're
not too stressed, it's easy to come up with solutions, such as
redirecting them or taking a milder approach: "uh-oh, you dumped all
that dirt out, so we'd better put it back to let the plant grow." What
other ways have you handled situations, without being able to resort
to scary looks? A nonverbal "stop" gesture with a hand plus saying the
word "stop" can also work, but what else? I'd rather not resort to
raising my voice, a method that seems verbally abusive to me most of
the time, unless the children's lives are in danger or something.

What do other people think?

Jen