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Dr. Maria Jesus Ampuero is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Ph.D. in Psychology. She currently has been providing Mental Health Services for the past 24 years and has been working at the Desert Mountain Children Center (DMCC) for almost 18 years as a Behavioral Health Counselor. She specializes in working with individuals across the lifespan, with a particular focus on trauma, neuro-developmental disorders, and family dynamics.

In this episode of Fostering Futures, we're joined by Maria Ampuero to discuss and explore how positive parenting lays the groundwork for social-emotional development--and why every connection counts in raising emotionally resilient children.

🔑 Highlights & Takeaways:

• Positive Parenting Defined
  • Positive parenting is a nurturing and supportive approach that emphasizes communication, warmth, and non-harmful discipline.
  • It fosters emotional well-being and health social behavior.
• Social Emotional Development
  • Children need help understanding and managing emotions and building positive relationships
• Parent-Child Dynamics, Developmental Awareness and Modeling Consistency
  • Understanding the differences between a child's developmental age and chronological age when setting expectations and responses.
  • Recognize diverse caregiver roles-- biological, foster, adoptive, stepparent, or grandparent-- and how each may shape the parent-child relationship.
  • Consistency in words and actions builds trust and helps children feel secure and guided.
• Cultural Perspectives on Parenting
  • Physical punishment in some cultures; Maria shares her shift to consequence-based discipline.
• Validation and Emotional Regulation
  • Validate children’s feelings instead of minimizing them.
  • Example of a child’s small injury feeling like a big deal.
• Reinforcing Good Behavior (Positive Reinforcement)
  • Praise and acknowledge effort to encourage desirable behavior.
  • Avoid over-focusing on negatives (e.g., a single bad grade on a report card).
• Technology vs. Human Interaction
  • Importance of psychoeducation about screen time and cognitive development in early years.
  • Need for face-to-face interaction.
• Alternatives to Device Time
  • Use structured activities like walking, painting, or showing pride in a child’s creativity.
  • It’s the presence, not perfection, that matters.
• Discipline and Consequences in Positive Parenting
  • Discipline = consistent consequences, not punishment or fear-based threats.
  • Children must learn that actions have outcomes.
• Teaching Responsibility Through Language Shift
  • Replace “Who’s guilty?” with “Who is responsible?”
  • Helps avoid shame and teach accountability.
• Reframing Parental Growth & Support
  • Self-awareness is key. Acknowledge learning and effort as progress.
  • Support one another as co-parents instead of criticizing.
• Modeling Positive Relationships for Kids
  • How spouses interact (e.g., appreciation vs. criticism) is a model for kids.
• Resources
  • Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
  • Social Learning Theory (Albert Bandura)
  • Positive Discipline (Jane Nelsen)

Whether you're a parent, educator

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