Sunday 22 February 2009

Disciplining for each Child

There are many books with varying opinions on how you should discipline your children. However, I believe that the person that knows your child best is you. Articles and books can give advice, but it is important to understand your child and what will work for them.

Not all children are the same, and this applies to children in the same family. Using time out for one child may not work for another. It’s important to understand this and not try to force the same discipline on a child that it won’t work for.

A friend of mine has a child who defies all the rules of discipline and parenting. He had a problem biting and she asked me for advice. I told her every method I have ever heard of to stop a child from biting, and she had tried them all. She had to take the time to understand him and find out what works for him.

Disciplining children is important. They need to understand that there are rules, and when they break the rules, there are consequences. However, understandably, the discipline should not use force that could be harmful to the child. When properly disciplined, a child will learn tools that will help them throughout their lives.

The discipline should also relate to the act. If a child colors all over a wall, they should have to clean up the mess. If they are too small, give them some time to try alone and then help them. Make sure it isn’t a game to them, they need to understand that they are in trouble.

Understanding your child and finding out what discipline works for them will help them become well adjusted as they get older, and help your household to run smoother.

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