Spanking is one of the most divisive issues when it comes to parenting. Some moms and dads swear by it and believe that it’s a good way to keep their kids in line and prevent them from misbehaving.
Other parents believe that spanking their kids is a form of abuse, and thus would have a lot of negative effects on their kid’s development. So they opt to use other means of discipline instead.
These days, most researchers and experts would agree that spanking can be harmful to your kids, and would negatively impact their behavior and temperament as they grow older. That’s why for parents who still spank their kids, maybe it’s time to rethink that form of discipline.
Instead of spanking your child, why not try doing these 3 things instead?
1. Give them consequences
Instead of spanking, you can give your child a consequence if they behave badly. Let’s say they don’t finish their meal, then their consequence would be that they won’t get to watch TV or play with their toys for the rest of the day.
Consequences help your child understand that doing bad things and not following the rules can have bad results, so this way lets them learn that they need to follow the rules and be good. It’s a better alternative to spanking since it doesn’t involve any physical harm, but instead, withholds their privileges.
2. Be consistent
If your child misbehaves constantly, you need to be consistent with the consequences that you give.
Your child might try to negotiate with you, and you can sometimes be tempted to let things pass but that would only reduce the effectivity of the consequence. Consistency is key when it comes to discipline so that your child can learn that they won’t easily get away with doing bad things.
3. Reward their good deeds
It’s just as important to reward your child’s good deeds. For small things, you can give your child a compliment or thank them for doing something. For bigger achievements, such as doing well in school or helping out other people, you can reward them with a treat or a fun activity that they love to do.
Always remember, think before you spank. You need to understand that spanking doesn’t always teach your child to be disciplined. Sometimes parents spank their child because they’re stressed out and frustrated, which means that they’re punishing their child for their own frustrations. Instead of spanking, look for alternative methods that you can use to discipline your child, and they’ll be better for it.
Source: familyshare.com
This article is republished with permission from theAsianparent Philippines.