When it comes to discipline, everyone seems to have an opinion. It can be frustrating – not only to get all that conflicting information, but also to try, and fail, to discipline your child according to other people’s rules.
The important thing is to find a discipline style that suits you, and your child. After all, children are individuals, and what works for one child may not work for another.
Make positive reinforcement a factor in your discipline, and praise your child for good behaviour.
Manage your own anger and frustration – trying to discipline a child when you’re not calm is an exercise in futility.
Find a balance between punishment and permissiveness – neither you, nor your child is going to be happy if you’re always punishing them.
Never let your anger spill over into physical or emotional abuse. That means no spanking, and no name-calling.
Give your child choices, and make sure that there are consequences when the rules are broken.
Make discipline, and punishment, age appropriate. If you’re disciplining a child and they don’t understand why, or even that what you are doing is discipline, then you are not achieving anything.
