In this live talk, we had the privilege of hosting Chip DeLorenzo, a seasoned Montessori educator and co-author of Positive Discipline in the Montessori Classroom. Chip brings decades of experience working with children, parents, and educators to help build respectful, cooperative relationships using effective discipline strategies.
In this session, we take a deep dive into the role of consequences in parenting. Chip breaks down the difference between natural and logical consequences and how they can be applied thoughtfully to encourage trust and learning. We discuss why traditional discipline methods often miss the mark and explore how consequences can be used as a tool for teaching rather than punishing.
Chip also shares practical advice on adapting these approaches for neurodivergent children, offering thoughtful and compassionate strategies to meet each child’s unique needs. Throughout the talk, we address common challenges parents face when trying to use natural consequences and provide actionable examples to help you make these methods work in real life.
Whether you’re new to positive discipline or looking to refine your approach, this live talk is packed with insights, tips, and real-world solutions to help you create a more peaceful, connected family dynamic.
If you’re ready to rethink discipline and embrace a Montessori-inspired parenting approach, this session is for you.
In this video
Consequences, and how to tell when one is really a punishment in disguise, are the subject of this talk with Chip DeLorenzo for parents and teachers of young children. Parents share consequences they tried that didn't stick, and a bedtime role-play shows what following through looks like. There's a part on natural consequences with neurodivergent kids. It ends with children who wander off or hit, and what to do when the usual approach doesn't work.
Chapters
- 0:00 Chip DeLorenzo on punishments dressed up as consequences
- 5:07 Natural consequences: stepping back and letting kids fix it
- 13:26 Natural consequences with neurodivergent kids: teach first
- 17:04 Parents share consequences they tried that didn't stick
- 21:14 The 3 Rs and an H test for a truly logical consequence
- 28:07 Four steps for follow-through in a bedtime role-play
- 33:47 When kids break the agreement: stay present, warm and silent
- 39:32 Presence, warmth and silence: setting limits kids will test
- 42:39 A short prompt instead of nagging, then warm silence
- 48:49 Kids who wander off, hitting, and when silence doesn't work
