Earlier this school year I touched on the power and skill of positive attention. When there are ongoing changes or inconsistencies in schedules, positive attention is incredibly useful to help provide stability and consistency for children. In addition, active ignoring is another useful tool to counteract any minor defiant or oppositional behaviors.

As humans, we're naturally more inclined to recognize mistakes, errors, and misbehavior in others, particularly our children. We also recognize the importance of learning opportunities, so when misbehavior is identified, it is instinctual for adults to want to point out and correct (often sternly) what children are doing wrong. Research indicates that giving attention to behavior you simply expect or want to see actually increases the likelihood of that behavior occurring again more than identifying what you want children to stop doing.