Discipline your child

Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

1278

Abstract

iveness. At one point a young black child tripped getting onto a bus. There were several in-drawn breaths while the closest adult lent a hand. Once the child was safe, everyone went back to ignoring him.I have also traveled to Asia and South America. I hate to say it, but it seems that children the world over are better behaved then American ones.Part of this is that, unfortunately, in some places children fear adults. I find that appalling. I don’t think it’s OK to hit a child. For a 150 pound adult to physically hit a 30 or 40 or 50 pound child… I am not OK with this. And I know that the reason some children are well behaved is because they know that misbehavior will lead to physical punishment.But it is possible to discipline a child without hurting them. And it’s important for parents to do this.While you, as a parent, will love your child no matter how they act, others will not. If you send your child out into the world without teaching them to respect themselves and others, you do them a disservice.And that is what discipline really is — it’s acting with respect for yourself and others. It’s controlling your impulses enough so that you make conscious choices and your a

Options

ctions are deliberate. It’s training a child to act like a mature adult.You do not have to yell at a child to teach them discipline. You do not have to hit them. These are abusive behaviors, and you do not have to be abusive to discipline your child.You do need to be firm, be calm and be consistent.Be age appropriate. It is unfair to expect a child to behave in a way that he or she cannot, because he or she is not yet capable. A 4 year old does not have the motor skills and capacity of a 12 year old.It’s also important to understand that some children have developmental issues and disabilities. An autistic child needs special consideration, for example.Within proper parameters, though, it is important for parents to teach their children how to behave. Parents need to set boundaries. When children have this structure in their lives, surprisingly, they may experience more freedom.It’s ironic, but it’s the same dynamic I observed with the dogs in Vienna. Because they were disciplined by their owners, they were so well behaved that they were welcome everywhere. This gave the dogs much more access to public spaces and ultimately more freedom.</article></body>

Sometimes loving someone means doing the hard stuff

When I was in Europe last year, I noticed how well behaved the dogs were. They came into cafes and restaurants in Vienna. They sat quietly at their masters’ or mistress’ feet and were given water and sometimes a plate of food. They behaved perfectly.

The European children I observed were also well behaved. I rode buses in Prague, Budapest and Vienna and observed children traveling by themselves. Some were no more than 8 years old. I didn’t see any bullying, yelling or destructive behavior. They might chat animatedly with their friends, but their voices weren’t overly loud. They might fidget in their seats but they didn’t kick the seat in front. They didn’t bother the adults on the bus.

For the most part, the adults ignored them though there was a feeling of protectiveness. At one point a young black child tripped getting onto a bus. There were several in-drawn breaths while the closest adult lent a hand. Once the child was safe, everyone went back to ignoring him.

I have also traveled to Asia and South America. I hate to say it, but it seems that children the world over are better behaved then American ones.

Part of this is that, unfortunately, in some places children fear adults. I find that appalling. I don’t think it’s OK to hit a child. For a 150 pound adult to physically hit a 30 or 40 or 50 pound child… I am not OK with this. And I know that the reason some children are well behaved is because they know that misbehavior will lead to physical punishment.

But it is possible to discipline a child without hurting them. And it’s important for parents to do this.

While you, as a parent, will love your child no matter how they act, others will not. If you send your child out into the world without teaching them to respect themselves and others, you do them a disservice.

And that is what discipline really is — it’s acting with respect for yourself and others. It’s controlling your impulses enough so that you make conscious choices and your actions are deliberate. It’s training a child to act like a mature adult.

You do not have to yell at a child to teach them discipline. You do not have to hit them. These are abusive behaviors, and you do not have to be abusive to discipline your child.

You do need to be firm, be calm and be consistent.

Be age appropriate. It is unfair to expect a child to behave in a way that he or she cannot, because he or she is not yet capable. A 4 year old does not have the motor skills and capacity of a 12 year old.

It’s also important to understand that some children have developmental issues and disabilities. An autistic child needs special consideration, for example.

Within proper parameters, though, it is important for parents to teach their children how to behave. Parents need to set boundaries. When children have this structure in their lives, surprisingly, they may experience more freedom.

It’s ironic, but it’s the same dynamic I observed with the dogs in Vienna. Because they were disciplined by their owners, they were so well behaved that they were welcome everywhere. This gave the dogs much more access to public spaces and ultimately more freedom.