Children will always find a way to 'try it on', which can really test our patience at times. It's at these times like this that our parenting skills are really put to the test. It is also in times like this, that we also need to be calm and composed whilst passing down the ‘sentence’ for unsavoury deeds committed. As parents, none of us ever want to knowingly cause any hurt or pain to our child with physical or verbal abuse. In our bid to teach our child that committing such acts are wrong, punishing a misdeed or inappropriate action by yelling or hitting would defeat the purpose. Our job after all as parents is to teach our children to behave. Undoubtedly, it is a job that requires a lot of time and patience.
When disciplining our children, the goal is to teach them to be responsible, cooperative, kind and respectful. The best way to do this is to always remain consistent - applying the same punishment for the same wrongful act, and to discuss the process with your child openly and honestly afterwards.
There are certain factors to consider when administering any type of disciplinary action on your child. For example, the age, maturity level, and temperament of your child should always be taken into account. It is also important to have the discussion with your child about what they did to warrant the line of action being taken so that it is understood in advance> this will enable your child to know what to expect as a result of his / her misbehaviour and possibly reflect on that, which might lead them to become repentant enough to find a way to make things right, ahead of the ‘day of reckoning’.
Depending on the gravity of the situation, you might need to take some time out to address your own reaction. This is so you don’t create an even more unpleasant situation by overreacting out of anger. You need to be able to take a more rational and measured approach if this is to be a learning process for your child. Never resort to yelling and hitting, as these will only serve to have a negative impact on your child and the situation.
Conclusion
Remember, we are all human beings. If you feel you did not handle a situation well the first time, do make a big thing of it. There’s always the next time. Reflect on what went wrong and what could have been done differently, then bear that in mind for next time.
