Ways to Punish Kids without Hitting

Punishments are necessary to discipline kids and instil good manners in them. However, it is not correct to hit, spank or yell at kids for punishing them. Here are some effective ways to discipline kids without hitting them.Parenting is a challenging task, but it is rewarding at the same time. You want your kids to possess good behaviour, manners and discipline. Many parents end up hitting their kids when they fail to teach them good values – but is that right? Hitting is considered to be one of the eight discipline strategies that can worsen behaviour problems. Kids do not learn how to manage or resolve the situation if you hit them, it can only make the situation worse. Let us see how you can punish them without hitting. In this articleUse a TimeOutConfiscate Something FavouriteLose Some TechTimeDo Someone Else’s JobMiss the Game TimeDo It Right!Use a Time-OutTime-out is an effective way of punishing. When your kids are misbehaving or doing something wrong, give them a time-out. Time-out means you have to remove your kids from the situation and make them sit still for some time in a quiet place away from others – it can be 10 minutes or more depending on their age. This gives you time to cool off and your children to think about their behaviour. After the time-out, discuss the problem with your kids.Confiscate Something FavouriteTaking something away which your kids are fond of is an effective punishment. If they are nagging or fighting over their favourite airplane toy when you asked them not to, the best thing to do is to remove that toy, rather than putting them in time-out. Put it away in a box and they can get it back only on next Sunday, or they can also claim it back before Sunday only if you feel you are impressed by their thorough good behaviour.Lose Some Tech-TimeTechnology is another favourite thing for your kids. They love to play video games, they love to watch their favourite shows on the TV, they love to search the Internet for things of their interest on their computers or laptops, etc. Being disrespectful or rude can lead them to lose some technology time. You can take away their TV privilege if they are engrossed watching TV and not coming for dinner on time, definitely after one or two warnings. You can take their video game privileges if they have broken some house rules.Do Someone Else’s JobIf you find your kids have made you miss your lunch, they have to do something that can get back the time for you. They have to do the dishes or maybe clean the room or fold the clothes for you, or any other household chore which is suitable for their age. They have to understand that they do impact others. So they have to do things for someone who faced inconvenience because of them – it can be you or anyone else. This is an effective way to teach them that their actions have ramifications on others.Miss the Game TimeThis is a very strict way of punishing them, which is way more effective than hitting. When your kids have done something really wrong and you want to ground them and teach them a lesson without spanking them, then just make them miss their game-time. Warn the children beforehand. If they do not listen, they cannot go out to play for a day or two.Do It Right!Set the household rules earlier, and also set negative consequences if they are not followed through. Discuss the rules and the consequences with the kids. If you bring any changes in the rules or the consequences, let them know. Stick to the rules and punish your kids without hitting if they do not follow the rules. Show them what you mean to say. You can also issue a warning. So, before punishing let them know.Stick to the rules and punish your kids without hitting if they do not follow the rules. Show them what you mean to say. Spend more time with your kids. Be a role model – and everything will fall in place!What the effective ways to punish kids? Is it necessary to hit kids for punishing them? What are the alternatives to hitting and spanking? Discuss here.