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The thought of disciplining an infant may seem ridiculous or even wrong. How can an infant, of all people, be held accountable for actions such as tugging his mother&rsquo;s hair? 

Yet every time a baby reaches up to tug his mother&rsquo;s hair and she gently removes his grasp, or when he puts an unsafe object to his mouth and she intervenes, that&rsquo;s setting limits. That&rsquo;s redirecting.

In other words, that&rsquo;s discipline. 

Discipline often has a negative connotation. Its association with punishment makes babies and discipline seem somehow paradoxical. But if we really explore the definition, we will realize that discipline is about teaching our children how to act in a socially acceptable way. 

And discipline starts from day one. 

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents should provide generally structured daily routines for their infants but also learn to recognize and respond flexibly to the infant&rsquo;s needs. As infants become more mobile and initiate more contact with the environment, we must also impose limitations and structure to create safe spaces for them to explore and play. 

There are long-term benefits to this. Children need to learn that while it&rsquo;s okay to acknowledge their emotions, they also want to control their reactions. It&rsquo;s important that they understand the way the world works and their place in it. By teaching positive discipline, we&rsquo;re helping our children learn to behave so they&rsquo;ll know what to do and how to behave when they become adults and when we&rsquo;re not there to guide them. 

Plus, it&rsquo;ll make the babysitter&rsquo;s job much easier when you have a night out!

When we think about discipline as a teachable moment and not necessarily a punishable one, we&rsquo;re more likely to help our children learn and succeed. Discipline is really about everything that we do, say and teach our children. 

Discipline is raising our kids. 

First steps in infant discipline

Just about every parent knows that a newborn communicates by crying. That&rsquo;s how he tells us that he&rsquo;s hungry or wet or doesn&rsquo;t feel well. Maybe he&rsquo;s just seeking the attention and touch of a loving parent. 

Each time we respond to the baby&rsquo;s cries we are reinforcing his behavior of learning to communicate. In other words, we&rsquo;re disciplining the baby. For an infant, discipline is comprised of consistently and responsively meeting his needs. Infant discipline is also about creating a strong attachment between you and your child. A positive parent-child relationship will provide the basic trust your child needs to help him comply when you tell him he shouldn&rsquo;t do something and encourage his desire to want to please you. 

While a good chunk of infant care revolves around physical caretaking responsibilities such as feeding, sleeping and diapering, your child&rsquo;s infancy provides a great time in which to connect with your new baby. You can talk to your baby and even laugh with him and begin teaching him about the world. The two of you can also just enjoy each other&rsquo;s company. 

Here are some basic discipline tips for you and your infant. 

Love your infant

This seems obvious, but just keep in mind that children grow and learn best in an environment in which they feel loved and secure. Spend time playing and snuggling with your infant and getting to know one another. 

Respond to your infant&rsquo;s needs

It&rsquo;s important for new parents to establish a general routine. This is especially beneficial for older infants. That said, please note that it&rsquo;s impossible to spoil a newborn. You&rsquo;re not being a bad parent if you decide to pick up and comfort your crying infant. He might just be hungry or need a hug! 

Create a &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; environment 

If your baby is constantly playing with the soil in the potted plant, consider relocating or even removing that plant. Yes, children need to learn the word &ldquo;No,&rdquo; but there are just so many opportunities for that when you&rsquo;re an infant. Focus instead on creating a &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; and trouble-free environment by anticipating and preventing dangerous situations. Move breakable objects to higher shelves and put baby-proof gates near the stairs. 

Ignore annoying behavior

There are times when an infant&rsquo;s behavior might be annoying but ultimately unharmful. If, for example, your baby pulls everything out of your sock drawer, just take a deep breath and ignore it. Decide what&rsquo;s important and what can slide.

Distract or redirect

Try to distract or redirect your baby from things you don&rsquo;t want her to have or do. If she has your keys and you need them, don&rsquo;t just grab them from her. Instead, interest her in some other toy or activity. Your baby will then let go of the keys. Obviously, you&rsquo;ll want to immediately take away any dangerous objects if she has one, but otherwise, it&rsquo;s easier to get a baby started on something else than to just take something away from her. 

Reward good behavior

Even infants seek approval and attention. Reward your child&rsquo;s appropriate behavior with words of praise - and lots of hugs and kisses. Your attention is your baby&rsquo;s most important reward, so use it to encourage positive behavior.

Give the freedom to explore within limits

Your baby needs the freedom to explore, but she also needs limits, and you need good judgment to provide both. Babies who are kept in playpens and high chairs for most of the day have too little freedom and are too limited. Spending time on the floor, for example, is a great way to give babies the freedom to play and explore movement - within the confines of a safe environment, of course. 

Throughout all of this, it&rsquo;s important to remember that while disciplining a child starts on day one, it certainly doesn&rsquo;t all happen in one day. Our goals as parents should be to lovingly guide our children into maturity. This is a long journey that requires a lot of patience and reminding, but it&rsquo;s well worth the effort.

Lightbridge Academy, babies, infants, discipline, education, parenting,

Infant Discipline Requires Redirection, a Gentle Hand and a Lot of Love

1851 Franchise

Discipline is often seen as a derogatory term, but it’s really about teaching our children how to act in a socially acceptable way. 

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<a href="https://hardeesfranchising.com/">Hardee’s</a>, a 65-year-old burger chain best known for its Thickburgers and breakfast biscuits, is facing a fast-moving round of closures driven by a franchise dispute rather than a bankruptcy filing.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inc.com/ava-levinson/hardees-shutting-dozens-restaurants/91282586">Inc. recently reported that</a> 77&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-hardees-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2721286">Hardee’s</a> restaurants are expected to close within two weeks as one of the brand’s largest franchisees exits the system.&nbsp;According to the report, Hardee’s is suing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.arcburger.com/">ARC Burger</a> — a franchise operator owned by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.highbluffcap.com/">High Bluff Capital Partners</a> — alleging the company fell behind on required payments and other contract obligations. Twenty-eight locations had already gone dark as of late December, with remaining sites scheduled to shutter across eight states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina and Wyoming.&nbsp;At the center of the complaint is the franchising “stack” of ongoing fees and pass-through costs that keep a system running. ARC Burger allegedly owes more than $6.5 million, including royalties, advertising fund contributions, technology and training fees, rent and taxes, and that payments stopped in December 2024. Hardee’s also argued in the lawsuit that the franchisee’s cash flow was not being used to bring accounts current.&nbsp;Hardee’s, for its part, is framing the shutdowns as a contractual enforcement issue, not a brand-wide retrenchment. “These closures are a result of ARC Burger’s failure to cure its defaults under its franchise agreements, despite solid sales,” a Hardee’s spokesperson said.&nbsp;The situation highlights a familiar franchising pressure point: unit economics. Inc. reported that Hardee’s operates more than 1,800 U.S. restaurants and that average annual sales per location are less than $1.2 million, well below averages cited for&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-wendys-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2722520">Wendy’s</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-buy-a-mcdonalds-franchise-2724654#stories">McDonald’s</a>. Lower volumes can leave franchisees with less room to absorb higher labor, food and occupancy costs while staying current on fees.&nbsp;Hardee’s said it is working to limit fallout for workers and communities and is looking for ways to reopen closed restaurants. For franchising, the next chapter will likely involve finding replacement operators, transferring sites and rebuilding compliance — a reminder that franchise growth depends as much on franchisee solvency and execution as it does on consumer demand.Read the original article&nbsp;<a href="https://www.inc.com/ava-levinson/hardees-shutting-dozens-restaurants/91282586">here</a>.Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.1851growthclub.com">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

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<a href="https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands/">Yum! Brands</a> is considering a potential sale of Pizza Hut and plans to close 250 underperforming U.S. locations, according to a&nbsp;<a href="https://simplywall.st/stocks/us/consumer-services/nyse-yum/yum-brands/news/yum-brands-weighs-pizza-hut-sale-as-portfolio-reset-accelera">recent article on Simply Wall St</a>. For the franchising industry, the significance is less about the stock and more about what it says about how large franchisors are managing brand portfolios in a high-cost operating environment.<a href="https://1851franchise.com/pizza-hut-franchise-deep-dive-2722519">Pizza Hut</a> is one of the most recognizable names in franchising. If Yum! decides to sell it, that would be a notable shift for a company built on a multi-brand platform. For years, large brand groups have argued that operating multiple concepts creates advantages, including shared resources, stronger purchasing power and the ability to invest in technology across the system. A sale would suggest Yum! believes those benefits no longer outweigh the effort required to improve Pizza Hut’s performance.The planned closures may have the most immediate impact on franchisees. When a franchisor reduces its footprint, it can change how the brand performs in local markets. Fewer locations can mean less convenience for customers, which can hurt overall traffic. It can also weaken the effect of local advertising when there are fewer restaurants supporting promotions in the same trade area.Closures can also affect store-level economics in ways that go beyond the locations that shut down. In some markets, remaining franchisees may pick up some displaced demand. In others, customers may switch to competitors. The changes can also affect local co-op advertising budgets and, depending on how purchasing and distribution are structured, can influence costs tied to volume.The move comes as competition in pizza remains intense, with&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-dominos-pizza-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2725506">Domino’s</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-papa-johns-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2724607">Papa Johns</a> continuing to push delivery, digital ordering and value-focused offers. Simply Wall St notes Yum! has been rolling out its Byte digital platform across brands. If Yum! changes Pizza Hut’s role in the portfolio, it could also change where the company focuses its technology and marketing investment.For franchise systems watching from the outside, Yum!’s review is a reminder that growth is not always the main priority. Sometimes the bigger decision is whether a legacy brand can be improved inside a platform or whether it will perform better under a different owner and a different plan.Read the original article&nbsp;<a href="https://simplywall.st/stocks/us/consumer-services/nyse-yum/yum-brands/news/yum-brands-weighs-pizza-hut-sale-as-portfolio-reset-accelera">here</a>.Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.1851growthclub.com">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

Yum! is reviewing the brand and closing 250 U.S. locations, a move that could affect franchisees and reshape its restaurant portfolio.

<a href="https://www.mcpfunds.com/">Monomoy Capital Partners</a> has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/franchise-deep-dive-jiffy-lube-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data-2720873">Jiffy Lube International</a> from Shell for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mcpfunds.com/news/monomoy-capital-partners-signs-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-jiffy-lube-from-shell/">approximately $1.3 billion</a>.Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Jiffy Lube helped pioneer the fast oil change industry and today operates more than 2,000 service centers across North America. The brand serves roughly 19 million customers each year and has expanded beyond its core oil change service to include a broader range of automotive maintenance offerings, such as brake, battery and tire services through its Jiffy Lube Multicare model. Over the past four decades,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/advice-from-a-multi-unit-franchisee-steve-isom-jiffy-lube-2726482">the company has built a significant franchise network</a> that has helped maintain its position as a leader in the quick-service automotive maintenance sector.“Few brands have the heritage and scale of Jiffy Lube,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-mlotek-344a795">Lee Mlotek</a>, managing director of Monomoy, in a press release. “As the original pioneer of the fast oil change, Jiffy Lube reshaped the industry and remains the market leader today. We are incredibly excited to partner with our franchisees to enhance the customer experience and value proposition that has made Jiffy Lube a trusted name for generations.”The private equity firm, which manages more than $5.3 billion in assets across its investment funds, has a history of investing in middle-market manufacturing, distribution and service companies.&nbsp;The deal also reflects a broader trend of&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/why-franchising-and-private-equity-make-such-a-good-match-2720921">private equity investment in franchising</a>, as institutional investors increasingly view franchise systems as attractive platforms for long-term growth. Franchise brands often combine predictable revenue streams, strong brand equity and scalable expansion models, making them appealing targets for private equity firms seeking stable cash flow and opportunities for operational improvement.&nbsp;Read the original press release&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mcpfunds.com/news/monomoy-capital-partners-signs-definitive-agreement-to-acquire-jiffy-lube-from-shell/">here</a>.&nbsp;Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

Monomoy Capital Partners’ acquisition from Shell positions the iconic automotive service franchise for independent growth across its 2,000-location North American network.

According to a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260312305776/en/RF-Expands-Residential-and-Commercial-Services-Portfolio-with-Investment-in-Precision-Garage-Door-Service-Franchisee">recent release</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://rf-partners.com/">RF Investment Partners</a>, a group focused on flexible capital solutions and value-add support to lower-middle-market businesses, has teamed up with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.burlingtoncp.us/">Burlington Capital Partners</a>, a group focused on family, founder and operator-owned lower-middle-market businesses, to acquire a prominent multi-territory&nbsp;<a href="https://franchise.neighborly.com/precision-door">Precision Garage Door Service</a> franchise.The investment marks the seventh platform for RF within the service space. Precision Garage Door Service, which is part of the larger&nbsp;<a href="https://www.neighborly.com/">Neighborly</a> ecosystem, specializes in the installation, maintenance and repair of garage doors.&nbsp;“We are proud to partner with management and the Burlington team to support continued growth by investing in people and operational excellence,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-fidler-6787143">Peter Fidler</a>, managing partner and co-founder of RF Investment Partners, said in the release. “The sector continues to present compelling opportunities given the essential nature of garage door repair, and we look forward to building on Precision’s strong foundation to drive long-term value.”This deal is part of the broader trend toward institutionalized multi-unit and multi-territory operators. Previously, franchising was largely viewed as the place for “mom-and-pop” businesses. And while franchises remain small, local businesses, the aggressive entry of private equity firms focused on operators (franchisees) rather than the brand (franchisor) is bringing new energy to small business ownership.Read the full release&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260312305776/en/RF-Expands-Residential-and-Commercial-Services-Portfolio-with-Investment-in-Precision-Garage-Door-Service-Franchisee">here</a>.Want to learn more about how 1851 helps franchisees find the right franchise opportunity? Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.1851growthclub.com">www.1851growthclub.com</a> and start your journey.

The strategic investment marks the seventh residential services platform for RF and reflects a growing institutional desire for high-potential, operator-led franchises.

How much can franchisees make? It’s a question many prospective owners ask before investing in a franchise. While earnings tend to be driven by variables such as industry, location and general management skills, a proper understanding of the key factors driving profitability can help franchise owners develop expectations that are realistic.&nbsp;Multi-unit franchisee&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mangesh-patel-9368569/">Mangesh Patel</a>, who’s readying the launch of six&nbsp;<a href="https://www.beefobradysfranchise.com/">Beef ‘O’ Brady’s</a> restaurant locations in the Macon, Georgia area, shares insights from his franchising experience.<h2>Understanding Franchise Income</h2>Keeping operational costs in check can have a major impact on overall earnings. Taking a proactive approach to expenses such as food and labor, as well as payroll and scheduling, can help align actual franchise income with general expectations for the business.“I just had a meeting with a couple of people, and they said, ‘You talked about a 25% profit margin, but I’m only doing 12%.’ So, I looked at the figures they sent me,” Patel said. “Their&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/calculate-restaurant-franchise-profit-2730476">restaurant</a> food cost was running at 37%, which should be around 30%. The national average is about 32%. If I do things correctly, my average food cost needs to be at or below 30%. And payroll should run around 18%. But many people run 25 to 28%.”So,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/unraveling-franchise-earnings-how-much-can-you-really-make-2723935">how much can franchisees make</a>? Here are five areas to consider.<h2>Practical Tips for Prospective Franchisees</h2><ol><li>Control Costs From Day One:&nbsp;It’s important to monitor payroll, food and supply costs closely. Overstaffing and inefficiencies can quickly reduce profits.</li><li>Plan For The Opening Surge:&nbsp;Traffic within the first few months of opening is likely to be higher. It’s important to adjust staffing and inventory accordingly, and pay close attention to how those levels change as time goes on.</li><li>Invest In Training:&nbsp;Properly trained workers can help reduce waste and improve overall service, which has a direct effect on net income.</li><li>Understand Your Market:&nbsp;Each market is unique and revenue potential will vary depending upon location, demographics and competition.</li><li>Track Metrics Regularly:&nbsp;Food cost percentages, labor ratios and weekly sales data act as key indicators operations may need to be adjusted.</li></ol><h2>What Profitability Really Comes Down To</h2>Patel notes that if franchise owners manage labor and costs properly, it’s not impossible to achieve strong cash flow even in the first year, bucking some franchising trends.So,&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/how-much-can-you-make-as-a-franchise-owner-2724761">how much can franchisees make</a>? While results tend to vary, careful planning, disciplined operations and a proactive approach to assessing initial costs are essential. But by grasping and guiding the elements that drive franchise profitability, franchise owners can maximize overall business earnings, scaling a business that’s sustainable financially over the long term.Want to learn more about franchise opportunities on 1851 Franchise? Be sure to visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/power-rankings">Power Rankings</a> to read more on brands making moves.

How much can franchisees make? This guide explains what drives franchise earnings and how to manage costs, with expert tips from multi-unit owner Mangesh Patel on maximizing your franchise income.

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Infant Discipline Requires Redirection, a Gentle Hand and a Lot of Love

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