Would You Take Parenting Advice From Alec Baldwin?

LilSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0700

As parents we all make mistakes, but are you willing to learn from someone else's? Alec Baldwin thinks so. The famed actor who became infamous for an abrasive voicemail he left his daughter, Ireland, in 2007, is now considering penning a parenting book. In an interview with Playboy magazine, Baldwin discussed the notorious message, how he and the child repaired their relationship and why moms and dads need to take a long look at how they parent. Alec said:

It will be ironic for some people, but I’m going to write a parenting book. We’re at, not a crisis, but an awful place right now in terms of parenting. People are raising their children with the belief that we need to be friends with our children. Kids have too much power and call too many of the shots, telling their parents what they will and won’t do.

The actor is not the first adult to question current child rearing philosophies, but do you consider him an authority on the subject?

Handling Bad Behavior: The Time-Out Trend

LilSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:00:05 -0700

Parents aim to raise their children to be productive members of society, so when kids start pitching public fits or socking playmates at the park, most moms and dads step in to guide their offspring toward more positive interactions. From Kate Gosselin to Alec Baldwin, everyone has an opinion on the proper way to discipline. One trend that is increasingly popular with today's parents is time-out.

A time-out removes a child from a situation so they can reflect on their behavior. It also serves as a cooling off period. How and when that time-out is taken depends on which philosophy a parent chooses to follow. Here are two common techniques:

1-2-3 Magic: Dr. Thomas Phelan uses the time-out as the end-result of a warning system. According to his theory, a parent warns a child with, "That's 1", "That's 2", and then "That's 3 and time-out" over the course of 30 minutes. If the tot reaches the end stage, without emotion the parent removes the child from their current environment and places them in their room for one minute per year of age. When the time-out is over, the child is free to go on with their activities - no apology or conversation about the misbehavior is necessary.

Naughty Step: This method, made famous by Supernanny Jo Frost, tells parents to confront their child's misbehavior when it happens, explain why it is wrong, and warn them not to do it again. If the tot repeats the action, he is placed on a step on the staircase or a mat for one minute per year of age with a short explanation as to why he was put there. When the time-out is over, the parent should get on the child's level and explain the misbehavior one more time, ask for an apology, and then praise the child for their understanding.

Do you use time-out with your children, and if so, which method?