How to Keep Cool When Disciplining Children

Discipline is an ongoing process when raising children and there are times when parents question their discipline tactics and methods. The most important aspect of discipline is keeping calm when handing out punishments, or when you're in a disagreement with your child. If you yell, your child yells. If you throw fits, your child throws fits. Use the tips below for staying calm while disciplining your child.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Make sure your child is listening when you ask him to do something. If your child is distracted with toys or television, remove the distraction, look him in the eye and tell him what you need. This helps avoid fights over chores or other tasks because you have your child's full attention.

2. Remember that children go through stages where they test boundaries and see what they can get away with. Keep calm by reminding yourself that your discipline style sets boundaries and establishes rules.

3. Leave the room if your child has pushed you over the edge. If you're screaming and losing your cool, walk into a different room and calm down. Think of ways you can handle the situation differently when you re-enter the room.

4. Count to ten, breathe deeply and then decide the best course of discipline for your child's misbehavior.

5. Respond with positive comments, even when your child screams, "I hate you!" Tell her you love her and only want what's best for her. If you don't react to insults and negative remarks with your own negative remarks, she'll lose interest and serve out whichever punishment you've given.

Tips & Warnings

• If you lose your cool, apologize once everyone has calmed down. You don't need their forgiveness, but you do need them to know that you recognize when you lose your cool and you'll work on it. Hopefully, they'll respond with an apology, too.
• Never spank your children when your anger is out of control. This can cause you to hit them repeatedly and with great force. If you feel a spanking is necessary, calm yourself down before giving the spanking.

[pdeverit]

on 8/8/2009 Most compelling of all reasons to abandon this worst of all bad habits is the fact that buttock-battering can be unintentional sexual abuse for some children. There is an abundance of educational resources, testimony, documentation, etc available on the subject that can easily be found by doing a little research on "spanking". Just a handful of those helping to raise awareness of why child buttock-battering isn't a good idea: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center For Effective Discipline, PsycHealth Ltd Behavioral Health Professionals, Churches' Network For Non-Violence, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Parenting In Jesus' Footsteps, Global Initiative To End All Corporal Punishment of Children, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 26 countries child buttock-battering is prohibited by law (an...

[pdeverit]

on 8/8/2009 Child buttock-battering vs. DISCIPLINE:
Child buttock-battering for the purpose of gaining compliance is nothing more than an inherited bad habit. Its a good idea for people to take a look at what they are doing, and learn how to DISCIPLINE instead of hit. I think the reason why television shows like "Supernanny" and "Dr. Phil" are so popular is because that is precisely what many (not all) people are trying to do. There are several reasons why child buttock-battering isn't a good idea. Here are some good, quick reads recommended by professionals: Plain Talk About Spanking by Jordan Riak, The Sexual Dangers of Spanking Children by Tom Johnson, NO VITAL ORGANS THERE So They Say by Lesli Taylor M.D. and Adah Maurer Ph.D.