Positive discipline in family contexts: A systematization of two training processes with mothers, fathers, and caregivers

Abstract

This article presents the systematization of the experience of two positive discipline workshops aimed at mothers, fathers, and individuals responsible for the upbringing of children between 0 and 12 years of age in the southern region of the country, specifically in Ciudad Neily and in the canton of La Unión, district of Tres Ríos, in the province of Cartago. The workshops aimed to provide information and positive discipline tools to support the child-rearing process. Each workshop was carried out over eight weekly sessions lasting two hours each. The experience was reconstructed through a review of written documentation, such as experience narratives, worksheets, and drawings, as well as an analysis of audiovisual records, mainly photographs. In addition, at the end of the workshops, a questionnaire was administered to participants to gather general information and assess the learning achieved. The results show the acquisition of knowledge about the philosophy of positive discipline, the strengthening of self-reflection and self-awareness processes regarding the management of emotions, frustration, and stress, as well as the implementation of positive discipline tools that have generated significant changes. Notable among these are changes in the behavior of minors and adults' search for more suitable strategies to channel frustration, which has had a positive impact on family dynamics, promoting communication, connection, and a sense of belonging among all family members.