[an error occurred while processing this directive]
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
<meta name="MSSmartTagsPreventParsing" content="true" />
<meta name="generator" content="Blogger" />
<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Dr. Mike Brooks - Atom" href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/atom.xml" />
<link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Dr. Mike Brooks - RSS" href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/rss.xml" />
<link rel="service.post" type="application/atom+xml" title="Dr. Mike Brooks - Atom" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/15268957/posts/default" />
<link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="http://www.blogger.com/rsd.g?blogID=15268957" />
<link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Dr. Mike Brooks - Atom" href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/atom.xml" />
<style type="text/css">
@import url("http://www.blogger.com/css/blog_controls.css");
@import url("http://www.blogger.com/dyn-css/authorization.css?targetBlogID=15268957");
</style>


  <style type="text/css">



xbody {
  background:#c0ccb0;
  margin:0;
  padding:40px 20px;
  font:x-small Georgia,Serif;
  text-align:center;
  color:#666666;
  font-size/* */:/**/small;
  font-size: /**/small;
  }
a:link {
  color:#58a;
  text-decoration:none;
  }
a:visited {
  color:#969;
  text-decoration:none;
  }
a:hover {
  color:#c60;
  text-decoration:underline;
  }
a img {
  border-width:0;
  }


/* Header
----------------------------------------------- */
@media all {
  #header {
    width:660px;
    margin:0 auto 10px;
    border:1px solid #ccc;
    }
  }
@media handheld {
  #header {
    width:90%;
    }
  }
#blog-title {
  border-width:0px 0px 0;
  color:#666;
  }
#blog-title a {
  color:#666;
  text-decoration:none;
  }
#blog-title a:hover {
  color:#c60;
  }
#description {
  max-width:700px;
  color:#999;
  }


/* Content
----------------------------------------------- */
@media all {
  #content {
    width:660px;
    margin:0 auto;
    padding:0;
    text-align:left;
    }
  #main {
    width:410px;
    float:left;
    }
  #sidebar {
    width:220px;
    float:right;
    }
  }
@media handheld {
  #content {
    width:90%;
    }
  #main {
    width:100%;
    float:none;
    }
  #sidebar {
    width:100%;
    float:none;
    }
  }

/* Headings
----------------------------------------------- */
h2 {
  margin:1.5em 0 .75em;
  font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif;
  text-transform:uppercase;
  letter-spacing:.2em;
  color:#999;
  }


/* Posts
----------------------------------------------- */
@media all {
  .date-header {
    margin:1.5em 0 .5em;
    }
  .post {
    margin:.5em 0 1.5em;
    border-bottom:1px dotted #ccc;
    padding-bottom:1.5em;
    }
  }
@media handheld {
  .date-header {
    padding:0 1.5em 0 1.5em;
    }
  .post {
    padding:0 1.5em 0 1.5em;
    }
  }
.post-title {
  margin:.25em 0 0;
  padding:0 0 4px;
  font-size:140%;
  font-weight:normal;
  line-height:1.4em;
  color:#c60;
  }
.post-title a, .post-title a:visited, .post-title strong {
  display:block;
  text-decoration:none;
  color:#c60;
  font-weight:normal;
  }
.post-title strong, .post-title a:hover {
  color:#333;
  }
.post div {
  margin:0 0 .75em;
  line-height:1.6em;
  }
p.post-footer {
  margin:-.25em 0 0;
  color:#ccc;
  }
.post-footer em, .comment-link {
  font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif;
  text-transform:uppercase;
  letter-spacing:.1em;
  }
.post-footer em {
  font-style:normal;
  color:#999;
  margin-right:.6em;
  }
.comment-link {
  margin-left:.6em;
  }
.post img {
  padding:4px;
  border:1px solid #ddd;
  }
.post blockquote {
  margin:1em 20px;
  }
.post blockquote p {
  margin:.75em 0;
  }


/* Comments
----------------------------------------------- */
#comments h4 {
  margin:1em 0;
  font:bold 78%/1.6em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif;
  text-transform:uppercase;
  letter-spacing:.2em;
  color:#999;
  }
#comments h4 strong {
  font-size:130%;
  }
#comments-block {
  margin:1em 0 1.5em;
  line-height:1.6em;
  }
#comments-block dt {
  margin:.5em 0;
  }
#comments-block dd {
  margin:.25em 0 0;
  }
#comments-block dd.comment-timestamp {
  margin:-.25em 0 2em;
  font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif;
  text-transform:uppercase;
  letter-spacing:.1em;
  }
#comments-block dd p {
  margin:0 0 .75em;
  }
.deleted-comment {
  font-style:italic;
  color:gray;
  }


/* Sidebar Content
----------------------------------------------- */
#sidebar ul {
  margin:0 0 1.5em;
  padding:0 0 1.5em;
  border-bottom:1px dotted #ccc;
  list-style:none;
  }
#sidebar li {
  margin:0;
  padding:0 0 .25em 15px;
  text-indent:-15px;
  line-height:1.5em;
  }
#sidebar p {
  color:#666;
  line-height:1.5em;
  }


/* Profile
----------------------------------------------- */
#profile-container {
  margin:0 0 1.5em;
  border-bottom:1px dotted #ccc;
  padding-bottom:1.5em;
  }
.profile-datablock {
  margin:.5em 0 .5em;
  }
.profile-img {
  display:inline;
  }
.profile-img img {
  float:left;
  padding:4px;
  border:1px solid #ddd;
  margin:0 8px 3px 0;
  }
.profile-data {
  margin:0;
  font:bold 78%/1.6em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif;
  text-transform:uppercase;
  letter-spacing:.1em;
  }
.profile-data strong {
  display:none;
  }
.profile-textblock {
  margin:0 0 .5em;
  }
.profile-link {
  margin:0;
  font:78%/1.4em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Arial,Verdana,Sans-serif;
  text-transform:uppercase;
  letter-spacing:.1em;
  }


/* Footer
----------------------------------------------- */
#footer {
  width:660px;
  clear:both;
  margin:0 auto;
  }
#footer hr {
  display:none;
  }
#footer p {
  margin:0;
  padding-top:15px;
  font:78%/1.6em "Trebuchet MS",Trebuchet,Verdana,Sans-serif;
  text-transform:uppercase;
  letter-spacing:.1em;
  }
  </style>

<title>Dr. Mike Brooks - Austin Psychologist</title>
</head>

<body>

<div id="header">

  <font id="blog-title">
    <a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/blog.asp">
	<br/>
         <b>&nbsp;&nbsp;Before reading my postings, please be aware of the following:</b>

       
         <ul>
           <li>Copyright 2006 by Mike Brooks, Ph.D., Assoc. Content may not be reproduced without expressed written consent.</li>
           <li>No information about clients or sessions will be revealed. </li>
           <li>The content of the articles is designed to be educational and informative in nature. </li>
           <li>While the material may prove beneficial, the benefits are in no way guaranteed. </li>
           <li>Those wishing to have assistance with a specific issue or problem are encouraged to contact me or another licensed mental health care professional. </li>
           <li>The content should not be construed as offering online professional advice particular to your needs. </li>
           <li>No therapeutic relationship is established by your use of these articles. </li>
         </ul>
	</a>
  </font>
  <p id="description">Articles related to psychology, therapy, and well-being.</p>

</div>

<!-- Begin #content -->
<div id="content">


<!-- Begin #main -->
<div id="main"><div id="main2">



    
  <h2 class="date-header">Saturday, May 05, 2007</h2>
  

  
     
  <!-- Begin .post -->
  <div class="post"><a name="7079761300788124464"></a>
         
    <h3 class="post-title">
	 
	 Use of Praise with Children - Part 3
	 
    </h3>
    

	         <div class="post-body">
	<div>
      <div style="clear:both;"></div>I call this technique the "principle of opposites." It's simple but effective. What is the most annoying behavior of your child? Does he frequently interrupt you? Does she have trouble complying with directions? What ever behavior it is, find its opposite...that's the one that you really want to see more of anyway. Instead of giving most of your attention to a particular behavior of your child that annoys you, you "catch him" behaving well in the opposite area. Then, give him specific praise. "Billy, I really appreciate how you put away your toys right when I asked." Remember, don't just say "good job" when Billy puts his toys away...that's not specific enough.<br /><br />This takes practice...you will be breaking your old habit of repeatedly attending to your child's negative behavior. Maybe even put a post-it note on your bathroom mirror to remind yourself. Enlist your significant other's support...help each other out so you can create a new habit. You'll find that your much less negative toward your child AND it is likely that your child's behavior will improve in that area that has been so troublesome.<div style="clear:both; padding-bottom:0.25em"></div>
    </div>
    </div>
    
    <p class="post-footer">
      <em>posted by Dr. Mike Brooks at <a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2007/05/use-of-praise-with-children-part-3.asp" title="permanent link">5:37 AM</a></em>
        <span class="item-action"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=15268957&postID=7079761300788124464" title="Email Post"><img class="icon-action" alt="" src="http://www.blogger.com:80/img/icon18_email.gif"/></a></span><span class="item-control blog-admin pid-151851663"><a style="border:none;" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=15268957&postID=7079761300788124464" title="Edit Post"><img class="icon-action" alt="" src="http://www.blogger.com:80/img/icon18_edit_allbkg.gif"></a></span>
    </p>
  
  </div>
  <!-- End .post -->
  
  
  
  <!-- Begin #comments -->
 
  <div id="comments">

		    
    


		<p class="comment-timestamp">
	<a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/blog.asp">&lt;&lt; Home</a>
    </p>
    </div>



  <!-- End #comments -->


</div></div>
<!-- End #main -->







<!-- Begin #sidebar -->
<div id="sidebar"><div id="sidebar2">
  
  

    
        

  <!--
  <h2 class="sidebar-title">Previous Posts</h2>
    <ul id="recently">
    
        <li><a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2007/05/use-of-praise-with-children-part-2.asp">Use of Praise with Children - Part 2</a></li>
     
        <li><a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2007/04/use-of-praise-with-children-part-1.asp">Use of Praise with Children - Part 1</a></li>
     
        <li><a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2007/04/tragedy-at-virginia-tech.asp">Tragedy at Virginia Tech</a></li>
     
        <li><a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2007/04/parenting-tip-when-its-not-okay-to-say.asp">Parenting Tip - When It&#39;s Not Okay to Say Okay</a></li>
     
        <li><a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2007/03/balanced-life.asp">A Balanced Life</a></li>
     
        <li><a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2007/02/appreciating-beauty.asp">Appreciating Beauty</a></li>
     
        <li><a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2007/02/quick-tip-for-healthier-eating_03.asp">A Quick Tip for Healthier Eating</a></li>
     
        <li><a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2007/01/keeping-gratitude-journal.asp">Keeping a Gratitude Journal</a></li>
     
        <li><a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2007/01/those-new-years-resolutions.asp">Those New Year&#39;s Resolutions...</a></li>
     
        <li><a href="http://www.drmikebrooks.com/2006/12/interesting-fact-about-sleep.asp">Interesting Fact About Sleep Deprivation</a></li>
     
  </ul>
  -->
    

      <!--<p id="powered-by"><a href="http://www.blogger.com">powered by blogger</a></p>-->
  
  <!--
  <p>This is a paragraph of text that could go in the sidebar.</p>
  -->
  


</div></div>
<!-- End #sidebar -->


</div>
<!-- End #content -->



<!-- Begin #footer -->
<div id="footer"><hr />
  <p><!--This is an optional footer. If you want text here, place it inside these tags, and remove this comment. -->&nbsp;</p>

</div>
<!-- End #footer -->
[an error occurred while processing this directive]