1-2-3 Magic Program for Parents Review

Lets go back a few years . . . back when we were thinking about starting a family. (Not so) Tired (Not yet a) Mom Tésa was gobbling up information about raising a child, pregnancy and all of that. I was kinda rollin’ with the punches, saying to myself “This won’t be too hard.”  (Cue the laughter)

This post is sponsored by 1-2-3 Magic.

We have done pretty good with Kora and Logan, not too many outbursts, all of that reading by mom has worked out pretty well. Kora and Logan are now 7 and 6 and are good kids but I do wish the opportunity we just came across  presented itself when they were younger. That’s why I’m excited about “1-2-3 Magic – Managing Difficult Behavior in Children 2 – 12” program. It includes a DVD and iPhone app. There is also a well-known book as well that has been a best seller for years.

1-2-3 Magic is the brainchild of Dr. Thomas W. Phelan, an internationally renowned expert and lecturer on child discipline. The concept is pretty simple, but the power behind this program comes from sticking to your guns and doing the same correct thing every time.

Upon putting the 1-2-3 Magic DVD into my player, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The DVD starts and finishes with Dr. Phelan speaking to an audience in an open forum.  Upon seeing this start, no offense to Dr. Phelan, but I wasn’t looking forward to watching someone speak for the duration of the video. However I was pleasantly surprised pretty quickly. Dr. Phelan is obviously well spoken and he does a great job of making this process entertaining. He is witty, entertaining, but most importantly knowledgeable about a process all parents have tried, but few have perfected. Counting to 3 and getting the desired results from your child.

1-2-3 Magic has a simple goal, helping parents and teachers enjoy their time with their kids. In doing this he will show how to get your kids to stop obnoxious behavior, maintain control in the classroom so there is more time for learning, handle public misbehavior, exercising self-control while being a disciplinarian at the same time, and other helpful items.

The most enlightening portion of this program for me was “The Little Adult Assumption.” In this portion we are reminded that children do not act and reason like adults, even though they can look and even act like they do in short bursts. Your child is not a short adult, arguing, logic, emotion, words and reason do not work like they would with a fellow adult.

One of my favorite lines from Dr. Phelan went something like this; instead of thinking of yourself as an adult, consider yourself a ‘wild animal trainer.’ This isn’t meant to insult your child, rather it is meant to say that children need consistency, pick your method, stay with it, and repeat. Do not let your emotions take control of you and veer you off course, too much talking and too much emotion are the two biggest disciplining mistakes according to the 1-2-3 Magic, and it really makes sense.

This program can work for children of all ages, 2 -12 and more importantly can be implemented at any time, as long as you are consistent with your practices.

Now I know you cannot always have this DVD (or book) with you at all times, that is why 1-2-3 Magic is now available on your iPhone. Anytime you need a quick refresher, you can access your phone for a reminder. The app is filled with information, and is still growing and improving.

Inside the app you will find a cliff note version of the DVD/book and can cover the bullet points of what you have learned previously, as well as give you some ideas for what to do and how to handle certain situations. You also will have the ability to keep track of your child’s stats for the last week, how many times you had to count and how many times you reached each number. You can chart and track this information to help you and your child continue to improve. The app is available on iTunes and works hand in hand with the 1-2-3 Magic DVD and book.

The 1-2-3 Magic Program I wish I would have discovered years ago, I can think of many times it would have come in handy in the past, and I will definitely implement some of the practices and thought processes into my daily interaction with my children. If you are struggling with any portion of disciplining your child, you must check out this DVD or read the book, it will give you some handy advice I am sure you will be able to implement into your daily life with your child.