John's Discipline Methods

Under this heading are various structured approaches to corrective discipline. These are methods, techniques, and strategies—either developed or refined by John Rosemond—that parents can use to deliver consequences for misbehavior. Please keep in mind, however, that the secret to effective discipline is not the proper use of techniques such as these. Proper discipline is accomplished primarily by what John refers to as Alpha Speech. "It's all in the presentation," John says, by which he means that one must look and speak and act the part of a calm, confident authority figure before any technique is going to work. For more on Alpha Speech, read either The Well-Behaved Child (Discipline That Really Works!) or Parenting by The Book. If you try to make these techniques work without first having mastered the simple art of Alpha Speech, you will bring down upon yourself the Ancient Curse of the Man Who Tried to Pull the Horse with the Cart, and an awful curse it is. Think of these techniques as simply vehicles for your authority. A technique is simply the form your authority takes. Also, the seven tools listed under this heading are only examples of structured discipline plans. You are free to take them and be as creative with them as you like. It might even occur to you to invent a strategy no one's ever thought of before. Think outside the box!