Child Discipline Learning how to discipline your child is one of the hardest lessons for many parents. Even if your parents were pretty big on discipline and proper behavior, it can be very hard to pass the same values on to your children. A big part of it has to do with recent changes in our society. We have gotten a lot more sophisticated in the way we think about child discipline, but this sophistication makes the job tougher for parents. Back in the day, if your child misbehaved, you could correct him with a firm swat. Nowadays, we are supposed to understand our children and use the principles of modern psychology. Needless to say, this is a far tougher task. That isn't to say that punishment is not a valid child discipline technique. As a matter of fact, it is very hard to raise a child without some form of punishment or other. The time out is a tried and true method – especially with younger children. It lets you show them that they have been bad, give them a chance to cool down, and set up a clear consequence for naughty behavior. Of course, the time out works best if you have some special spot for the child to go to. You can make him sit on a particular stair, stand in the corner, or whatever. Then, when a few minutes have passed (eternity for a small kid) go up to him and discuss why you put him there and what he has learned. Do this every time as a way to set firm boundaries. But punishment is actually not the best form of child discipline. Experts say that praise for good behavior and setting concrete goals with your kids works much better. Make the child feel good about himself when he does something right, and set easily quantifiable behavior goals. A behavior chart is a great way to go about doing this. My youngest used to lose his temper all the time until we set up a behavior chart for him. We talked about the behaviors that were a problem, and discussed ways we could work together to stop them. Then, I would give him rewards when he started to get things right. Of course, the way you give rewards has a big effect on your child discipline. Intermittent rewards are much better than fixed ones. In other words, don't bribe your child with an ice cream trip as a reward for doing a certain thing. Instead, surprise him with a reward every now and then when he is doing things well. That way, he will learn to act properly all the time, instead of just when he knows he is getting some sort of bribe. Summary Learning how to properly discipline a child is very important for their well being later on in life. If children do not understand limits and rules they could end up hurting themselves or others. Use good rewards as well and praise for acceptable behavior and enforce bad behavior punishments as appropriate. Related Articles Child Behaviors Behavior Of Children Behavior Modification For Children Angry Teen Behavior Related Sites