Parents need to train children to pay attention, obey the first time.(Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)

Q. My husband and I recently ``shopped'' several parenting programs. In one, the recommendation was made that after giving an instruction, parents should count to three before sending the child to timeout. In another, parents were told to repeat instructions three times, giving warnings on the second and third repetitions, before imposing a consequence. What are your feelings about this sort of thing?

A. I think disciplinary strategies of the sort you describe are ultimately counterproductive. Their only redeeming aspect, as far as I'm concerned, is they at least acknowledge that parents are authority figures and that children should obey parental instructions. In that …