Contact Us   Home  
   
   

Children begin to form the concept of right and wrong early in life and the basic concept is understood at about the time they understand the consequences of yes and no and or good or bad when used in simple sentences. However, parents and teachers alike need to re-think the concept of discipline and agree upon a new direction for it and label that concept "guidance." We really need to guide the child to repeatedly behaving in appropriate ways in order to produce a well-rounded adult.

We can guide children towards appropriate behavior by acting as role models ourselves.
We cannot expect them to be "perfect little angels" if we set no example of that manner of behavior ourselves. This is difficult, because we are after all, human, and it is easy to lose control of our own emotions. Children model behavior, however, so we must always be conscious of our own. It is important to re-enforce positive behavior and not re-enforce negative behavior. That does not mean that parents should reward good behavior with candy, toys or other rewards.

Back to Articles

  

Discipline and its application to children have been changing through the last twenty years. Many years ago disciplining children meant that they were physically punished for an misbehavior. It was not uncommon for parents and sometimes even teachers to hit or beat their own children. In the present day, it is agreed by most childhood experts that physical discipline of children is inappropriate. In most modern societies there are now laws that make the use of physical discipline illegal. Why?

Physically disciplining children usually only instills one value upon the child: fear. They learn to fear the adult, and they learn that they cannot physically fight back or defend themselves. In short, they are powerless to defend themselves and eventually the physical abuse affects them emotionally. They can become withdrawn and develop psychological problems.