Ada Alden has been working with parents for nearly 30 years and holds advanced degrees in education and behavior analysis. Ada holds a doctorate from the University of Minnesota and is a nationally certified family life educator. She consults with school districts, working with teachers on parent involvement and effective teacher-parent relationships. Ada has provided training for Head Start staff, child care providers, parents and staff from both the corporate and medical fields. She is the director of family educational services for the Eden Prairie Schools and an adjunct professor at the University of Minnesota and St. Cloud State University. She reviews parenting books and writes columns for local newsletters and newspapers.

In an article "Lessons at the Kitchen Table," she explains that her rationale for writing the book, Parenting on Purpose; Red Yellow Green Framework for Respectful Discipline was "to provide a simple way to think about parenting during moments of stress, celebration and problem solving." She writes "Once there is a child, life will never be the same. Actually, common sense quite often disappears during the early years. Sleepless nights, fragmented schedules, concerns about development, altered relationships with spouses, grandparents and siblings add to the surprise of becoming a mother or father.

The article continues to explain that the concept of the framework began years ago when she began using the simple color system to raise her daughters. She needed a clear framework to assure that she made thoughtful choices that met long term goals during the immediate difficult moments. Red is the "no" zone, the limits that parents set to stop, protect and focus on safety for their children. Green is the "OK, go ahead, good for you" zone. Both the Red and Green Zones are established by parents or caregivers. Working together, they provide a sense of safety for the developing child. The Yellow Zone is the area in which the child makes decisions. The Yellow Zone promotes thinking skills by helping the child practice and learn self-reliance. Core to the Yellow Zone is an understanding of child growth and development, which will form the base from which appropriate choices emerge.

All three zones work together to provide a thoughtful base for child development and parent support and reassurance. Children need a caring and consistent learning environment thoughtfully organized by caring and friendly adults in order to learn impulse control, language skills, respect, trust and manners. It does a child no good when the adult in his or her life wants to be a best friend.