Adlerian Parent Education

One of my favorite sessions as a college professor, working with teachers and prospective teachers, was based on Rudolph Dreikurs’ concept "Children the Challenge” presented in his book by the same name. I want to share his thoughts with you as they are defined in the home and school environments and in the world of sports.

In order to do that with some historical significance, I need to go back in his intellectual history to review his relationship with Alfred Adler, (1870-1937) the great Austrian/German philosopher and founder of the School of Individual Psychology. Rudolph Dreikurs lived from 1897 to 1972. 

Albert Adler’s School of Individual Psychology

Alfred Adler's philosophy, known as Individual Psychology, emphasizes the importance of overcoming feelings of inferiority and striving for significance and belonging within a social context. It highlights the role of social interest, community feeling, and the individual's active role in shaping their own life and goals.

This week I want to deal specifically with Adlerian Parent Education. Next week we will look at Rudolph Dreikurs’ “Children the Challenge” program which actualizes and interacts with Adler’s concepts.

Adler disagreed with the traditional authoritarian works of  psychologists such as Sigmund Freud.

Adlerian parenting theory emphasizes raising children with mutual respect, encouragement, and fostering a sense of belonging and significance. Parents are given the tools to ease and handle the stress of being a parent and to raise children with courage and compassion. It offers a parenting style that is both firm and kind, where children are guided to develop responsibility and cooperation through natural and logical consequences.

A great step was achieved when Adler and Dreikurs came together in offering teachers a positive, assertive way of giving school children the personal, social skills to deal with the gifts and dangers that confront them in their learning situations. Adlerian parenting helps children learn problem-solving, responsibility, and social skills that are crucial for navigating life.

Principles of Adlerian Parenting Education

Holistic and Goal-Oriented:

Central to the Adlerian approach is viewing the personality of the child as a whole. The self-created personality strives for both self-development and social meaning expressed in a sense of belonging, usefulness, and contribution.

Mutual Respect:  

Children are deserving of dignity and respect - they are people, too. 

Belonging:

Children need to feel connected to their family and feel that they are valued members.

Encouragement:

Encouraging children helps them focus on intrinsic motivation. And they will be aware of and appreciative of the company.

Natural and Logical Consequences: 

Children learn from the natural outcomes of their actions or logical consequences that are respectful and reasonable.

Democratic Parenting:

Parents must allow children  to be involved in family problem-solving and decision-making. This helps them develop responsibility and cooperation. It builds confidence.

Inferiority Complex: 

Positive parenting helps children overcome feelings of inferiority. The goal is to build confidence and encourage healthier, goal-focused growth.

Family Order

Early interactions with family, peers, and adults shape feelings of inferiority and superiority. Our relationships during childhood influence how confident or insecure we feel later in life.

Social Interaction:

Adler emphasized the importance of social connection and the ability to care for others. People seek meaningful relationships and want to feel competent and valued.

Focus on Present and Future 

By addressing the root causes of misbehavior, e.g. lack of belonging, Adlerian parenting can lead to more positive interactions and cooperation. 

Self-Esteem and Confidence:

Encouragement and positive reinforcement help children develop a strong sense of self-worth and belief in their abilities. 

In essence, Adlerian parenting is a holistic approach that aims to nurture well-rounded individuals who are confident, capable, and connected to the world around them.

Next week: Improving Child Behavior: With Alfred Adler and Rudolph Dreikurs

Meanings are not determined by situations, but we determine ourselves by the meaning we give our situations.

               — Alfred Adler