Disciplining Your Children

Disciplining today has become a highly controversial subject. Everyone has their own opinion on it. Some feel strongly about disciplining their child and others feel that it is wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I am not here to judge I am writing this article to provide insight into how disciplining can be beneficial and the different methods and effectiveness of each.

No matter what age your child is when it comes to disciplining it is important to be consistent. If parents don’t follow rules and follow through with the consequences your children are most likely not going to stick to the rules either. If your children see that you mean what you say then they are going to try to behave better. 

There are several disciplinary methods that you can use. They vary depending on the age of your child. Below we will discuss each one and the ages they are best suited for.

Time Out- Time out works better on younger children. It is best suited for ages 0-2 but is effective on kid’s ages 3-5 years as well. Keep in mind that babies and toddlers do not yet have a clear definition of right and wrong. You need to teach them by saying in a firm but loving voice that it is wrong. When stating what they did wrong it is also important to point out what would have been the right thing for them to do. When using time out establish a place that is free from distractions. You should have a suitable timeout place such as a kitchen chair or bottom stair. Keep the timeouts for toddlers and those younger to about a minute. Longer timeouts are unsuitable for this age group. If you send a older child to their room make sure there are no distractions such as a TV or computer or even a phone that they could entertain themselves with.

Consequences- This method is great to use with ages 6-8 and you can also use it in conjunction with the time out method. When issuing consequences it is important for you to remain consistent. If you tell your 6 and 8 year old that is arguing that they are not going to be able to stay up and watch the movie they wanted to, you need to make sure that you follow through with that decision. If you don’t your kids will not respect you because they now think that they can do whatever they want because they think your threats are not for real. Consistency is the key here.