• The Kazdin Method® of Parenting

    We are devoted to sharing our knowledge to help parents be the best they can be. Even if you feel like you’ve tried everything and nothing works, your life with your child can be much easier.

  • Praise is one of the strongest ways to influence your child’s actions

    It can be the essential ingredient in improving behavior, or it can make behavior worse. The result depends on the quality of the praise and upon how and when it’s delivered.

  • Parenting based on research

    The research tells us that talking and explaining are weak methods of changing behavior. The stronger approach is to define a positive opposite—a good behavior to replace the one you don’t want—and then reinforce it consistently and often enough that it becomes your child’s default setting.

PODCAST: Dr. Alan Kazdin Interview on Papatriarcat

Listen to an interview of Dr. Alan Kazdin by Cédric Rostein, in his series committed to helping parents with the challenges of parenting.

Free Online Training with Coursera

The online training course “Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing” is now available for anyone who needs a little help with parenting.  This training course gives you access to a toolkit of behavior-change techniques that will make your typical day in the home easier as you develop the behaviors you would like to see in your child.  Chances are your parenting is perfectly fine and working the way you would like.  But if you have any frustrations with your child or would like improve your effectiveness in changing your child’s behavior, this training course could help.

The Kazdin Method® In The News

3 Surprising Ways Our Parenting Can Cause Terrible Damage To Children

By Nancy Mangs / October 25, 2021
Even those of us who are not parents have all had parents, be they present and caring, estranged, alienated, absent, neglectful, abusive,...
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TikTok Mom Video Threatening Her Kid With A Wooden Spoon

By Nancy Mangs / October 3, 2021
Dr. Alan Kazdin advises parents to use positive reinforcement and effusive praise with their children instead.
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Parents Are Losing Their Minds Over Masks in Schools

By Dr. Alan E. Kazdin / August 8, 2021
Several states have low vaccination rates, rampant COVID-19 spread, and no mask mandates in schools. Parents are worried for their...
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Parents Should Not Be Spanking Their Kids, and Here’s Why

By Dr. Alan E. Kazdin / September 25, 2020
While most parents spank their children at some point, experts advise against the disciplinary practice. Learn more about the negative...
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Resources