Conscious Discipline Basics

For those of you unfamiliar with Conscious Disicpline, I would like to give you some basic information (terminology, guidelines, etc). Please understand that Conscious Discipline is the brainchild of Dr. Becky Bailey, who researched and developed the program. The best way to understand Conscious Discipline is to either attend one of her seminars (these are incredible and well worth the money!) or to read her book Conscious Discipline. It is not my intention to try and teach CD, because I am not qualified. Nor do I want to infringe upon copyright laws. If you look at the top of my blog, there is a link to the Loving Guidance (the producers of Conscious Discipline) website. I encourage you to go there for all the information on CD, including materials you can order and valuable tips and information.

Everything presented here is my interpretation of Dr. Bailey's terminology used in her Conscious Discipline seminar. Remember, this is a layperson's viewpoints and not endorsed by Dr. Bailey. Any mistakes are my own errors and should not reflect upon Dr. Bailey's program or abilities.

Now for the basic terminology (keep in mind this is the simplified "For Dummies" version). The way I understand it, the brain can basically be divided into three main parts. These parts are the brain stem, the limbic system, and the pre-frontal lobes. Each part serves a different purpose. The brain stem is concerned mainly with survival. Dr. Bailey explains that this main concern can be expressed with the phrase, "Am I safe?" When presented with a dangerous situation, the brain stem can respond in only one of three ways: fight, flight, or deception. The developmental need of the brain stem is safety.

The second part of the brain is the limbic system. This systems is the control center for emotions. The main concern of the limbic system would be the phrase, "Am I loved?" The developmental need of the limbic system is connection.

The third part of the brain is the pre-frontal lobes. From what I understand, the frontal lobes are the last part of the brain to develop. This area of the brain is where we make choices and solve problems. Since children's frontal lobes aren't fully developed, adults need to "lend" their frontal lobes to the students by helping them make positive choices. The phrase for the frontal lobes is "How can I solve this? or What can I learn from this?" The developmental need of the frontal lobes is problem solving in social situations.

When a child is "in their brain stem" it means that they've reverted to a survival state. They are concerned about safety. They won't be able to say this to you, but you'll recognize it from the screaming, hitting, or other out-of-control behaviors.

A child "in their limbic system" is more concerned about emotional safety. This child might be crying, name-calling, or otherwise showing a lot of emotion.

A child "in their frontal lobes" is calm, rational, and able to problem solve. This is the ultimate state to be in.