Helping Parents with Discipline

When most people hear the word “discipline,” they think consequences, punishments or stopping bad behavior in the moment. But what if we’ve been thinking about discipline too narrowly? We are reframing discipline in toddlers through a completely different lens. One rooted in connection, development and emotional regulation. Because toddler “misbehavior” isn’t usually about manipulation or defiance. More often, it’s communication. 

To help us create developmentally appropriate expectations, we are joined by two experts. Julia Palozzi, PsyD, specializes in child psychology here at Children’s Hospital Colorado and is an instructor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Alyson Hatten, MS, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, specializing in child counseling as well as infant and early childhood mental health. She also is an assistant professor. 

In this episode, our expert discusses: 

• Reframing what children can’t do into what they can do 
• Why allowing emotional dysregulation is critical to a child’s development 
• Setting developmentally appropriate expectations 
• Discipline strategies and how pediatricians can guide families to utilize them