Discipline Tips

There is no official handbook or guide to parenting that will answer every question and solve any issue for your child.  Discipline is an art, and mastering it can be difficult, even for a seasoned parent.  One of the hardest problems with using discipline is determining which form works best with your child.  It may take considerable thought, planning and, most of all, patience before you discover the proper method.  However,  your actions will help your child to discern the difference between right and wrong behavior, while building character and self-confidence in a world full of rules and regulations.

Here are some forms of discipline that prove to be most beneficial with children:

Natural Consequences – children learn best when they see the immediate result of their actions. If they break a toy, they learn that they will no longer have it to play with.  The key to success here lies in the parent’s arms.  It is important to make sure they understand the consequences of being without something they are responsible for.  Replacing the toy only allows them to think it is okay to break things if they will be replaced.

Consequence Befitting the Crime – when a natural consequence doesn’t occur with an action, a parent must step in to instill some form of correction, and it must be immediate and related to the crime.  If you child starts drawing on the wall with crayons, calmly explain to your child why this is wrong and what will happen if she does it again.  If it happens again, follow through on your promise, remove the crayons from her possession, and have her clean up the mess. 

Taking a Time-Out – time-outs can help your child understand what they did while giving them time to cool down.  Nobody likes being told their wrong, and the instinct to put up a defense is a natural reaction.  So, when resorting to this method, make sure your child understands why they are getting a time-out and define an appropriate length. A good standard to work off of is one minute per year of age.

Also, always remember your children are learning how your parent through your actions, so keep these things in mind when you use discipline:

- Be consistent: your child needs to know that every time they misbehave, you will take the same corrective action
- Remain calm: let them know that their actions aren’t affecting you, but will affect them
- Be firm: set a disciplinary measure and make sure your child sees it through to the end
- Be positive: focus on how your child can correct their behavior instead of telling them they’re wrong

Of course, these methods are only a few examples, a diving board into the ocean of discipline, but they can help keep a positive and warm line of communication between you and your child while establishing guidelines to follow both inside and outside your home.

Anthony Ripo
Mommy & Me Correspondant