How to Discipline your Kids- 5 Ways that Actually Work

Every parent struggles with disciplining their child at some time or the other. It is challenging for parents to control their temper, sometimes with an angry teen or a screaming toddler. No parent wants to be in a tight spot, and we all know shouting does not help. The good news is that there are many effective ways through which you can discipline your children. So, let us dive deep into some of the best ways to discipline children.

1. Spend time with your little ones

Are you wondering why you need to spend time with your children to discipline them? Well, the answer is as simple as the question is. Because your children will not listen to you if they don’t feel connected to you. So, develop a strong relationship with your child by spending one-on-one time with them. Even 30 or 10 minutes a day will be enough to create valuable moments with your children. You can wash dishes together and do a little chit-chat, sing a song while hanging out the dishes or read a book together and discuss the story or characters with your children. These simple activities will help you develop a positive relationship with your little ones, which eventually helps you discipline them.

2. Help them understand their mistake

Would you like to be punished? If you have not done anything wrong. The same is the case with children- if you do not tell them why you are punishing them, they will feel furious. So, when they mess up something, explain to them what they did wrong. This will help them correct themselves and learn from their mistakes. It also helps you teach them how to behave in specific situations.

3. Don’t forget to praise them

If you have grown up watching Shaktimaan on Doordarshan, you might have remembered a short clip played after each episode. In that clip, when a child does something nice, like helping the elderly lift heavy groceries, Shaktimaan praises him, and the child replies, “Thank you! Shaktiman. You have to do the same thing with your children to make them feel loved. Focusing only on their bad behaviour can make them think that this is the only way to get your attention, and they will keep on with their bad behaviour.

4. Use distraction creatively to diffuse certain situations

You might not know, but teachers in schools use the distraction technique to stop a fight between students. You can use the same technique at home to calm things down. You can take your teenager to another room or take them for a walk when they are furious or irritated about something. Times also play a vital role in this. Like when you see your children on the verge of starting a fight over a toy or something else, distract them before it becomes a challenging situation.

5. Explain the consequences of their bad behaviour- Calmly

Newton’s third law states that to every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Teaching your children that when they do something, something will tend to happen will help them learn that there are consequences to everything. First, explain the consequences of bad behaviour but calmly. For example, if your child does not finish their homework, explain its consequences like they will receive lower grades and fall behind their peers in studies. Consequences will allow them to improve themselves and change their behaviour. Also, if they start doing their homework, don’t forget to praise them.

Also Read What is the role of Moral Values in Life

Don’t follow these methods to discipline your children

Alongside learning effective methods for disciplining children, you should also be aware of those methods that parents should not use. Here are some of those that you should not implement in your household.

• Corporal punishment has long-term negative effects on children's mental and physical health. Therefore, one should refrain from using violent methods to discipline children and create a calm and nurturing environment for them. Daycare and educational institutions, and Top CBSE schools in Barotiwala use non-violent methods to discipline students and have policies against corporal punishment. They implement these policies to align with the National Policy for Children 2013 and the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act (2009), which prohibits the use of any physical violence against children.
• Don’t use the outdated “comparison” method to discipline your kids. Let us take an example to understand the comparison method that parents often use. Suppose your sister’s children wake up early, assist with household chores, and show respect to elders. Thinking that comparing your children to them will make your children behave similarly is not an effective approach. This instead will embarrass them and make them feel inferior or incapable.
• Don’t scold them when they do something wrong. Many parents get furious when their children do something that they should not, which can be anything from minor things to significant mistakes. Scolding damages children's self-esteem, and they start covering up their mistakes, which may lead to big trouble in their lives later on.

The key takeaways

There is no such thing as a code which can make your child disciplined overnight. However, by consistently implementing the strategies that we have mentioned, you can slowly and steadily make them more disciplined. Over time, with patience, you will see positive changes in your kid's behaviour.