Meet-The-Parents on 13 Mar

It was a good session and parents were told to encourage their child to read widely to enhance their general knowledge and linguistic skills.
One parent asked how to get his daughter to read other books instead of 'The Princess' series. It is tough because when I was young, I also read nothing but 'The Famous Five'.
My advice would be to use 'Teachable Moments'. Use everyday incidents like - When Mummy is making a cake, she uses a mixer to cream the butter and sugar. Then ask the child, do you want to know how a mixer works ? If the answer is a 'Yes', bingo ! Go to the library and get hold of a book on simple machines and hopefully your daughter would get hooked on the subject.
There were other issues that parents were concerned about. Mostly on child behaviour.One parent told me how she inculcates the desired behaviour of her son. It is similar to the 'reward and time-out' system mentioned in my blog. The difference is that she did not use 'time-out' as there was no necessity for it.
What every parent should know about child behaviour -
Came across this website which I think would enlighten you on some child behaviour. The website is
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/behavior/201.html

The document below was posted in 2008. I've recycled it.

Parenting skills training, offered by therapists or in special classes, gives parents tools and techniques for managing their child’s behavior. One such technique is the use of token or point systems for immediately rewarding good behavior or work. Another is the use of “time-out” or isolation to a chair or bedroom when the child becomes too unruly or out of control. During time-outs, the child is removed from the agitating situation and sits alone quietly for a short time to calm down. Parents may also be taught to give the child “quality time” each day, in which they share a pleasurable or relaxing activity. During this time together, the parent looks for opportunities to notice and point out what the child does well, and praise his or her strengths and abilities.
This system of rewards and penalties can be an effective way to modify a child’s behavior. The parents (or teacher) identify a few desirable behaviors that they want to encourage in the child—such as asking for a toy instead of grabbing it, or completing a simple task. The child is told exactly what is expected in order to earn the reward. The child receives the reward when he performs the desired behavior and a mild penalty when he doesn’t. A reward can be small, perhaps a token that can be exchanged for special privileges, but it should be something the child wants and is eager to earn. The penalty might be removal of a token or a brief time-out. Make an effort to find your child being good. The goal, over time, is to help children learn to control their own behavior and to choose the more desired behavior. The technique works well with all children, although children with ADHD may need more frequent rewards.
Note : Use this as a quide. You may need to vary and/or modify to suit your child.
When all options fail, use the rod.