Conditioning your child means shaping their behavior. You condition your child's behavior any time you respond to something they do. Sometimes experts talk about changing your child's behavior, but when scientists who study behavior talk, they talk about conditioning behavior. When your baby cries, and you pick him up, that conditions him to connect crying and being picked up. When your toddler hugs you, and you smile at her, she connects hugging and happiness. When your preschooler throws a temper tantrum, and you give him what he wants, he connects yelling and screaming with making mom or dad do what he wants.
Everything you do when you're around your child affects their behavior. Now that can sound scary, but really, it should put you at ease. It means that very small changes you make in the way you respond to your child can make a big difference in how they act. It also means that you can shape the behavior of even the tiniest baby!
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