Parents are overwhelmed with too much information coming at them. What is credible? What is nonsense? How can we tell? How do we make the right decisions for our children? These worries keep parents awake at night and cause entirely too much stress!

Parents have a lot of information coming at them- some of it legit, a lot of it just noise. Why cloth diapers are the gold standard or why cloth diapers are terrible? Make your own baby food vs. buy all these fancy organic baby food pouches. The noise, unfortunately, doesn’t die down as your children grow. Mommy blogs, parenting books, well-meaning relatives are all coming at you. I know. They’re coming at me, too.

The trend on social media these days seems to have shifted from being the perfect Pinterest mom (or dad) to the hilariously imperfect parents whose children are completely out of control. Where is the balance? Who really wants to be either of these extremes?

Is there a solution? Yes- science.

With all the stuff coming at us- let’s stick with science. What do the data and research tell us?

As a busy parent, do you want to spend your valuable time trying out some random person’s ideas? Or do you want to implement strategies that have been proven effective through research and applications over decades? The latter option is kind of nerdy, sure, but evidence-based practices can build some serious parenting confidence!

Behavior analysis is the science of behavior. When it comes to raising children, their behavior can be one of the biggest stressors on parents. How do we handle it efficiently? Stick with science. The science of behavior!

If your child is physically ill- who do you turn to? Do you go to the pediatrician who has many, many years of medical school and experience under their belt? Or do you go to Johnny’s mom down the street who claims that eating the bark of the oak tree in her back yard has cured all of Johnny’s sinus problems? The answer seems obvious: stick with science.

What is ABA for parents?

You can apply the principles of behavior to everyday life. Take small, actionable steps. We are not talking about a thirty-page behavior intervention plan.

Behavior analysis for parents is not a strict, militaristic approach. It is not a kneejerk reaction and jump to use punishment. ABA is not used to make all our children act identically and turn them into little robots.

ABA for parents includes the use of positive reinforcement to build up those desired behaviors and to teach new appropriate behaviors. It’s setting our kids up for success both now and for the long run. Using small, actionable steps can help us be more effective and more efficient as parents.

5 steps to stick with science as a parent:

1. Focus on what you want your child to do INSTEAD.

2. Tell them. Succinctly.

3. Catch them being good.

4. Reward them for doing it.

5. Watch to see if your rewards are actually working.