Positive parenting, as we know it today, has its roots in several psychological and educational currents from the 20th century. This concept is heavily influenced by the works of psychologists like Alfred Adler and Rudolf Dreikurs, who emphasized the importance of encouragement, mutual respect, and cooperation in child-rearing. Their approach, known as "positive discipline," was developed in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. Adler and Dreikurs proposed an alternative to authoritarian educational methods, focusing on fostering responsibility and autonomy in children while maintaining a clear and respectful framework.

In Europe, this approach was popularized by educators like Maria Montessori, whose educational philosophy is based on the idea that children should be treated with respect and encouraged to explore and learn at their own pace. Montessori's theories, combined with the works of Jean Piaget and Carl Rogers, contributed to the spread of the idea that empathy, active listening, and recognizing a child’s emotions are crucial for their development.

Positive parenting was also influenced by the children's rights movement, which gained momentum after World War II, with growing recognition that children have specific rights and must be protected from all forms of violence, including psychological violence. This movement was reinforced by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, which emphasized children's right to be raised in a loving environment that respects their dignity.

Today, positive parenting is a global concept, adapted and promoted in many countries around the world, thanks to the influence of contemporary psychologists such as Jane Nelsen, who popularized positive discipline in the United States, and Catherine Gueguen, a French pediatrician who explored the effects of kindness on children’s brains. These authors, along with many other voices in the field of child psychology, continue to refine and disseminate the principles of positive parenting, adapting them to modern realities.

References

1. Jane Nelsen (1981). Positive Discipline. New York: Ballantine Books.
2. Alfred Adler (1930). The Science of Living. New York: Allen & Unwin.
3. Rudolf Dreikurs (1964). Children: The Challenge. New York: Dutton.
4. Maria Montessori (1949). The Absorbent Mind. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
5. Catherine Gueguen (2015). Pour une enfance heureuse: Repenser l’éducation à la lumière des dernières découvertes sur le cerveau. Paris: Robert Laffont.
6. UNICEF (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child.