Stuck in between emotions and rules on how parents should discipline their children? Be it a young toddler or a child in the teens, most parents try to maintain their cool while it comes to handling kids. No parents want to indulge in shouting or beating the child which is of no help. Luckily there are many alternative ways such as child discipline methods which make things easy.
Parents must understand that there is never a bad child in the world. Rather it is all only about bad behaviors. On the other hand, no parent wants to shout and harm their child. They pretty well know it will affect the child in the long run. Only as a last resort or due to stress and restlessness, parents shout or hit their children.
For parents who want to discipline a child without hitting and yelling and who are stuck about how parents should discipline their child, here we are to help!
Why Is It Important To Discipline Your Child?
Discipling your child is just not about habits. Instead, it helps them to gain skills that make them responsible adults. Parenting comes with various techniques and approaches. Regardless of which one you choose, disciplining a child would always be of help.
The question of how parents should discipline their children and why it is necessary could be running in many parents’ minds. The answer is simple. It makes your child learn self-control and adapt to responsible behavior. Also, disciplined parenting will let your child know about the consequences of a situation which will indeed help them make their own decision.
Furthermore, a proper positive discipline technique helps in raising a healthy child. Hence, parents should focus on teaching good behavior instead of bad examples like saying bad things to the child or beating which doesn’t help the child grow better.
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10 Tips On How Should Parents Discipline Their Child
Parenting isn’t an easy task. It requires a lot of patience and hard work. A good parent isn’t always perfect. Their daily routine and activities naturally act as examples of discipline for the child to learn. It is not the actions but the intentions of the parents that make them great.
The aim of good parenting must not be in achieving perfect goals every day. This doesn’t mean you need not work towards it. The parents must set the goals at high standards. The goals should be reachable for ourselves and then for the children. In this way, we serve as role models for our children.
These days most parents are free with their children without setting any expectations or teaching them positive disciplinary rules. Sometimes, ignoring these could become problematic.
Here are a few tips on how parents should discipline their children.
1. Be consistent
Consistency is the first step in raising a disciplined child. How consistent we are in a situation has many effects of discipline on a child. For example, when there is an argument with the child, try not to argue back, especially when your child is trying to defend themselves. When you stop provoking them or don’t argue while they misbehave, they will automatically understand their mistakes and correct them.
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2. Discipline your child in public
Though this could be something embarrassing to do, when you discipline a child in public, it has its benefits. The child could feel guilty and ensure that the mistake isn’t repeated. Also, it helps the child understand that the child has done something wrong even if others do not stop the child or encourage them to do it. This is one important tip for those who want to know how parents should discipline their children.
3. Do not humiliate
Humiliating a child could cause a negative impact when it comes to positively disciplining a child. Humiliating the child is not the appropriate way of discipline. Especially when you give specific punishments for a respective action, it is going to hurt the child and the chances that they are going to change are very less. Also, it will reduce their self-confidence and affect their self-esteem which will have an impact in the long run.
4. Set boundaries early
Toddlers experiment with various things when they are young. Hence, teaching them discipline and setting them their boundaries when they are growing, makes it easy for parents. Also, since the brains of the child are too young, parents must be aware that it is difficult for the child to differentiate between behavior and consequences. Hence patience is the key to making them learn discipline.
Also, boundary-based discipline involves the establishment of clear limits which tells the child what is allowed and what is not. Hence, when kids know the consequences of setting out of the boundaries, they remain obedient.
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5. Quiet corner
As adults, when we sometimes feel depressed or irritated or feel out of control, all we do is go to a quiet place or stay away from others to get back our senses which helps us find solitude. Similarly, when your child is throwing a tantrum, make it a habit to take the child to a quiet spot until the child settles down. This helps the child to gather themselves back. This act is not a punishment strategy. Rather when the mom is with the child, it makes them feel better.
6. Giving consequences
For those who wish to know how parents should discipline their children, especially older ones, consequences work better. As they grow, kids will do things which you like and you don’t like. Letting them know what happens right after they do a thing will help them identify and learn what needs to be done and what not to.
Cutting off the television when your child doesn’t do whatever is asked of them is an example of behavioral discipline. Similarly, offering them small gifts and surprises when they do things is also an example of discipline at home.
7. Ignore bad behavior
Children throw up tantrums, yell or whine when they want to seek attention. Ignoring your child in such situations makes them realize that they aren’t seeking your attention. This makes them stop the behavior. When you ignore your child, you neither neglect them nor support them in their behavior. Instead, you take away your attention from the child and his behavior. Also, paying minute attention even to the child’s small behavior will only result in exaggeration.
8. Praise the positive acts
As parents, many of us focus only on pointing out the bad behavior of the child leaving behind their good deeds and works. Sometimes, doing a positive act could also be an attention-seeking technique by them. Children thrive on praise and recognition. It makes them feel special.
Keep watching for things they do. Even if it is something like a few minutes playing with the boy next door or sharing toys with their siblings/friends, appreciate them immediately. This helps to encourage good behavior rather than imposing disciplinary acts.
9. Keep your expectations clear
Sometimes, it is effective to let your child know what things they have to do rather than things they shouldn’t. This way, helps them understand things better. Instead of telling them not to make a mess by throwing away their toys and items, instruct them to place their toys and items in their respective place after they play.
By making your expectation clear, the work becomes simple. Also, you know what your child is capable of. Hence, ensure to keep your expectations realistic. Asking a child to sit in a place the whole day instead of 10 minutes is not going to work out.
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10. Keep distracting creatively
When you find your child throwing tantrums or is being difficult, the best way is to divert them into something positive to save their energy. You can do this by changing the topic or bringing in new games or making them move away from that place. Doing this will help to use their energy in positive behavior rather than crying and whining.
Timing plays a crucial role in this. Distracting the child right before they break can help you diffuse a situation that is likely to blow.
Conclusion
There are times when we all have been through the situation of not knowing how parents should discipline their children. Though there are different types of parenting discipline, it varies from person to person depending upon their family, temperament, and the child’s behavior. There isn’t a common discipline that works better and is uniform for all children in the same situation.
Kids show different behavior as they grow up. A child throwing tantrums at two may give it back with attitude when she turns twelve. The best way to know your child is to understand what they are going through developmentally. Using discipline is only a way to teach and guide your child and is not something about getting angry and imposing punishments.
Lastly, it is important to stay cool and at the same time stay firm in what you want your kids to do. Always try using calm and positive discipline methods rather than being unfair.