We all want well-behaved kids who excel in school, get along with other children and respect parents, teachers and other care givers. However, this doesn’t magically happen. According to authors Dr. Grace Mitchell and Lois Dewsnap, discipline is defined as “the slow bit-by-bit, time consuming task of helping children see the sense in acting a certain way…”

Dr. Mitchell is a well known author and early childhood advocate and Dewsnap is a respected teacher and writer. In Common Sense Discipline the two educators share techniques for guiding children in today’s world.

Common Sense discipline talks about the root of some behavioral problems that stem from the societal changes and the mistakes adults unwittingly make at times. For each situation the authors guide the readers through the steps to take to reach a possible solution.

While the book mainly deals with discipline in the classroom, overall the content is empowering and chock full of helpful tips parents can use as well. Here are some of the authors’ suggestions.

*Learn about children and how they grow and develop. The more you know about children and their developmental stages, the more you’ll know what to expect of them.

*Parents should share helpful information with the school so that teachers and administrators understand their children better. The school should offer their observations to parents as well.

*Anticipate when children will need extra help and attention.

*Teach children how to value one another and respect differences.

*Admit when you’ve made a mistake and model for children how to apologize.

*Keep rules reasonable.

*’Think of discipline as education. “Teach, don’t punish,” the authors advise.