What Are PRIDE skills?
A component of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), PRIDE skills can be used to build positive behaviors in both children and parents. Based on Baumrind’s Theory of Parenting Styles and Attachment, it aims to teach Authoritative parenting. Authoritative parenting is a style of parenting marked by warmth, non-punitive punishment, healthy attachment, and consistency. Children of parents who use the Authoritative style are known to be highly adaptive, as well as socially and academically skilled. PCIT and PRIDE skills also educate parents on ways to avoid becoming Authoritarian parents, which in contrast to the Authoritative style, is marked by low warmth, harsh discipline, and inconsistency (Karavasilis, Doyle, & Markiewicz, 2003).
How Can PRIDE Help You?
When done correctly, PRIDE can teach parents the most effective ways to promote positive academic behaviors and reduce conduct that diminishes the likelihood of success. This includes communication skills as well as respect and can extend into behaviors correlated with chores, prosocial behavior, sports, and homework. Most importantly, PRIDE skills teach parents patience, increase parental self-efficacy, decrease negative communication, and fosters a healthy parent-child relationship.
Using the Pride Acronym to Encourage Positive Homework Behaviors
These should all be incorporated when doing homework collaboratively with your child.
Praise Appropriate Behavior: This increases desired behavior and self-esteem and inform your child about what you like. It also adds warmth to the parent-child relationship.
Examples: I like the way you're focusing on your work! Excellent job getting that problem correct! I’m so proud of you for completing your spelling words!
Reflect Appropriate Talk: When working on homework, your child's words should be repeated and expanded upon. This encourages communication, allows your child to direct their achievement, shows them you are listening, demonstrates acceptance and understanding, and increases positive communication.
Example:
Child: Dad I spelled cat.
Dad: Yes, you spelled cat!
Imitate Appropriate Behavior: Show your approval by participating in and mimicking what your child is doing correctly. It shows them that you’re involved, teaches them how to interact with others, and reinforces positive characteristics.
Example:
Child: I’m all finished. Going to go put my work in my bookbag and clean up my space.
Parent: You know what? I’m going to go put my stuff in my bag and clean up as well!
Describe Appropriate Behavior: This shows your child that you are interested, teaches them concepts, models proper speech, and organizes your child’s thoughts surrounding their work.
Examples: Wow that was a hard word problem but you solved it! You’re making a lot of headway with that map of the United States! You knew the square root!
Enthusiasm/Enjoyment: Show that you are enthused with their behavior, it is reinforcing! It also models appropriate positive emotions, supports positive statements, and strengthens your relationship.
Examples: WOW! That’s great! Super job!
While some of these examples may seem overt and obvious, they are designed to build a healthy relationship and can be very encouraging when done consistently!
Karavasilis, L., Doyle, A. B., & Markiewicz, D. (2003). Associations between parenting style and attachment to mother in middle childhood and adolescence. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 27(2), 153-164.
Levin, E. (2011). Baumrind’s parenting styles. In Encyclopedia of child behavior and development (pp. 213-215). Springer US.
