About Sierra Positive Discipline

Positive Discipline is based on a core understanding of the need to feel belonging and significance, and an understanding of children’s misbehavior when this need feels unmet. There are five criteria for Positive Discipline strategies for misbehavior, which are:

  1. Is Kind and Firm at the same time. (Respectful and encouraging)

  2. Helps children feel a sense of Belonging and Significance. (Connection)

  3. Is Effective Long-Term. (Punishment works short term, but has negative long-term results.)

  4. Teaches valuable Social and Life Skills for good character. (Respect, concern for others, problem-solving, accountability, contribution, cooperation)

  5. Invites children to discover how Capable they are and to use their personal power in constructive ways.

You can learn more about it here.

What is Positive Discipline?

Positive Discipline is a program developed by Dr. Jane Nelsen. It is based on the work of Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs and designed to teach young people to become responsible, respectful and resourceful members of their communities. Positive Discipline teaches important social and life skills in a manner that is deeply respectful and encouraging for both children and adults (including parents, teachers, childcare providers, youth workers, and others).

Recent research tells us that children are hardwired from birth to connect with others, and that children who feel a sense of connection to their community, family, and school are less likely to misbehave. To be successful, contributing members of their community, children must learn necessary social and life skills.

Learn more about Positive Discipline here.

About Sierra Positive Discipline

Sierra Positive Discipline is an educational organization founded by Dr. Carroll that provides tools and resources for parents who want to raise responsible, respectful, and resilient children.

Children are at their best when they feel a sense of belonging and significance. Our experiential approach emphasizes kindness, firmness, and mutual respect, which can help children feel that sense of belonging and significance. We want to fill up your tool box with 100 ways to effectively handle any situation that arises in your family.

At Sierra Positive Discipline, our mission is to empower parents to build healthy, happy relationships with their children that will last a lifetime.

Who is Dr. Carroll?

Hi. My name is Paul Carroll. I have a Ph.D. in Psychology, am a certified Positive Discipline parenting educator, and have published several studies on Positive Discipline parenting classes including here and here.

I am also a Dad, and a step-dad, and I know firsthand that parenting can be challenge. There's no manual on how to do it. The closest thing I’ve seen is the book Positive Discipline by Jane Nelsen, and the Positive Discipline approach. I’ve seen it make a real difference in many families, including those I interviewed while conducting research, those I have taught, and my own. People kept sharing how much of a difference it made for them! That’s why I took the leap to try sharing it with others, and I believe it can really make a difference in your family as well.

Why Positive Discipline?

Applied in the family setting, Positive Discipline teaches important social and life skills, in a manner that is respectful to both the adults and children - raising young people to be responsible, respectful and resourceful members of their community. Children who grow up in Positive Discipline homes have a sense of connection to their community (home, school), feel their input is regarded as meaningful and are less likely to engage in "mis" behavior.

To be successful members of the community children need to be taught the necessary social skills. Positive Discipline is based on the understanding that discipline must be taught and that discipline teaches. Research shows that parents who attend a PD parenting class have a change in their parenting style, report more joy and less stress from parenting, and report improved behavioral and academic outcomes in their children.

Read more about research supporting Positive Discipline here and here.