Grow Your Parenting Vocabulary: Reinforcement

There are four types of reinforcement that you can use when changing a behavior. Two types of positive reinforcement, and two types of negative reinforcement. And now the confusing part....the positive can be negative and the negative can be positive. Positive reinforcement means adding something to your child's environment -- you give something or do something to your child. The two types of positive reinforcement are 1. adding a reward (like a hug, praise, or treat), or 2. adding a consequence (like extra homework, or extra clean up time). Negative reinforcement means taking something away from your child's environment. The two types of negative reinforcement are 1. taking away something positive (taking away toys, removing your attention, or leaving the park) and 2. taking away something negative (bringing your child out of time out, or leaving a place your child doesn't like).

So far so good?

All you need to remember are these two things. When you like something your child is doing, you can either give something nice, or take away something not nice. When you don't like what your child is doing, you can either give something not nice, or take away something nice.