Metro Nashville Public Schools Provide Info On Restorative Parenting

From the Metro Nashville Public Schools:

September 24, 2020

This blog post and presentation is offered by the MNPS Restorative Practice Team, with a message: “Parents & Caregivers, please feel free to add these restorative parenting tips to your parenting practices. We hope you will find these helpful and effective. Parenting is tough for all of us, but it is definitely easier when we all work together.”

Please watch the video presentation - available in English, Spanish and Arabic - for more details and suggestions.

Restorative Parent Tip Sheet

Four Parenting Styles

• Authoritarian – Focus on obedience; punishment over discipline
• Permissive – Don’t focus on rules; kids will be kids
• Uninvolved – Provide little guidance, nurturing or attention
• Authoritative – Create positive relationship; enforces the rules

Restorative Parenting is a good balance of fairness (support) and firmness (control).

This can be seen in the Social Discipline Window.

1. Authoritarian (TO) parenting is high on firmness and low on fairness.
2. Permissive (FOR) parenting is low on firmness and high on fairness
3. Uninvolved (NOT) parenting is low on both firmness and fairness.
4. Authoritative (WITH) parenting is high on both firmness and fairness

Proactive Parenting

Tips for strengthening family & building trust

• Clear Practices – make sure your children know what you expect of them. Write out the steps. Review often and post in your common areas within your home, if feasible.
• Charts – use reward systems to reinforce positive behavior (ex: stay up late, extra screen time or allowance)
• Circle Up – use mealtimes to discuss how children are doing, to share family news, or to discuss family issues.
• Check-in/Check-out – make it a habit to check in or check out with your children daily in order to encourage open communication. Use this time to ask about their day and encourage them to ask about your day.

Restorative Questions

Questions that can repairing harm restore relationships

When Things Go Wrong ask:

• What happened?
• What were you thinking of at the time?
• What have you thought about since?
• Who has been affected by what you have done? In what way?
• What do you think you need to do to make things right?

When Someone Has Been Harmed ask:

• What did you think when you realized what had happened?
• What impact has this incident had on you and others?
• What has been the hardest thing for you?
• What do you think needs to happen to make things right?

Restorative Parenting Video Presentation

Download the tip sheets in English | Arabic | Spanish

This press release was produced by the Metro Nashville Public Schools. The views expressed are the author's own.