Parents use various discipline strategies to raise well-behaved and responsible kids. However, certain discipline mistakes can hamper the development of kids. Let us take a look at the top 5 discipline mistakes made by parents.For a large percentage of parents all over the world, discipline is one quality they want their children to imbibe. While some parents take the smarter way of incorporating it into their child’s routine by exposing them to
good habits and morals, many take the easy way of acting stern and strict.
Discipline is no doubt an integral quality for any child in order to help him or her to become a responsible citizen. However, it must be noted that if the effort to introduce it to the child is overdone, it may lead to unfortunate consequences.
Below, we have discussed some of the common
discipline mistakes made by parents.
1. Lies Are Not the Luxury You Can Afford
Imagine your toddler struggling in order to avoid daycare, or a glass of milk, or an activity they do not like. So, what do you do to get them going? Some parents adopt the idea of lying. They expose their child to an alternate reality that does not exist in most cases in order to accept them the reality that is. An example of this is asking your child to go to the daycare because staying at home would mean the arrival of monsters, thus forcing them to bend. The approach may bring temporary results but can prove to be a blunder in the long run.
2. Threatening Without Any Action
Most parents are too consumed by the love they have for their child to act on their mistakes. If your child is acting in a way which is not right, it is important to complement threatening with action. However, the action should not be too harsh. An example of this is if the
child lies. Punish them for the lies they have told, but also, teach them about the importance of speaking the truth. Merely threatening and letting go would only lead to more lies.
3. Sympathizing with the Child if Other Parent is Scolding
Another
mistake commonly made by parents is the softening of one of the parent. An example of this is when the mother scolds the child for something incorrect, and the child turns to the father for sympathy and support. While this motivates the child to repeat the bad habits in the longer run, it also encourages them to not take the other parent seriously. Softening cannot go on forever, and hence, acting strict at times is very important.
4. They Follow You and They Copy You
Imagine a child who has just started school being slapped for pushing a stack of books by mistake. Now, when the same child observes someone making a similar mistake at school, they react in the way they were acted upon, with a tight slap. It is important for parents to understand that not only their children look upto them for everything, but also follow their actions and make it a part of their memories. Therefore, it is important to realize the kind of actions, language, and other habits that you portray before your child. Your actions are going to reflect in their intentions.
5. When Bribes Replace Awards
So, your child is rejecting the backseat in the car? Are they not willing to consume that glass of milk? What do you do in such situations? For many parents, bribing their child with a bar of chocolate proves to be helpful. While this may bring temporary results, this adds to your woes in the long run. Your child now expects a bribe for every task you ask. In some cases, children may start turning down simple tasks just to be bribed with their favorite chocolate or snack. Reward them for their good efforts, as it motivates them to do better.
So, these are the top 5 mistakes made by parents all over the world. If you are following any of these, the time to stop is now.
Why is it important to avoid making mistakes while disciplining kids? Which discipline tactics can prove effective on kids? How can discipline mistakes affect the growth and development of kids? Discuss here.
