We all love our children very much and we want the best for them. This means we need to discipline them when they go wrong. How you raise your kid determines who they grow up to be. Disciplining your child is a totally normal part of parenting. Children learn from us and it is our duty to guide them whenever they go steer off course. This means if you let your child go scot-free every time they make mistakes and will never learn right from wrong.
Disciplining your child might not be as easy as it sounds because you need to know the best approach depending on the mistake they made. It’s also important to keep in mind what punishments work best for your kid.
We all hated being punished as kids but it really taught us a lot and made us the disciplined adults we are. So it is our responsibility to ensure that we raise our kids right even if it means them being mad at us a couple of times.
To do that, here are some effective ways to discipline your child.
Listen to them
Sometimes they might have a good reason for making a mistake. Before punishing them make sure you know and understand the reason for their error.
Don’t be in a rush to punish them. They might have broken the glass because they slipped or fell down and honestly that’s not ground for punishment.
Set limits
You need to have limits on how far is too far. Kids like any other person can go overboard but it is for us to make boundaries. They learn from the boundaries that we as parents have set so let them know how far is too far. Let them know that even if they are angry, they should think about their actions before reacting.
Be a good example
Children learn from us. If you don’t treat people well, they will definitely mimic your actions. Be a positive influence to your child.
You cannot be rude and expect your child not to be rude. You should show them kind ways to treat people when they are upset. This is the main reason why kids who grow up in abusive homes end up being abusive.
Reward good behaviour
Being rewarded is a great way to motivate your child to do good. I don’t mean gifting them every time but acknowledge the good acts or things they say to people even without your influence. Telling them thank you when they help with chores or anything is a great way to also motivate them.
Explain why you are punishing them
Before punishing them it’s important to point out the cause of punishment. One of the reasons why our kids end up making mistakes over and over again is because we don’t tell them what they did was wrong, we just punish them without telling them. Explain why what they did was wrong and why you are punishing them.
Be prepared for negative response
Don’t expect that every time you punish your child that they will carry out the punishment in peace. Expect them to have an outburst, roll their eyes or bang doors. This should not alarm you or make you scared to punish them.
What needs to be done has to be done. And besides, nobody enjoys being punished.