Effective Discipline At Home: To Flog or Not To Flog? (CONCLUSION)

The more children are spanked, the more anger they display as adults, the more likely they are to spank their own children, the more likely they are to approve of hitting a spouse, and the more marital conflict they experience as adults. Spanking has been associated with higher rates of
physical aggression, more substance abuse, and increased risk of crime and violence when used with older children and adolescents. Parents should know that it is not about them but about the children. Put yourself in the child's place. Any person who has developed language and communication should be disciplined through other methods available.

Seek help when you feel helpless

It is not unusual or strange for parents to feel helpless and incapable of coping with the demands of home discipline. This is more so in the case of single parents and teenage parents who may be classified as learners of this important task. What is wrong is to continue to practice what you feel is wrong and to continue to endanger the life and emotional well-being of the child. There is help available in the pages of good books, websites on parenting, offices of psychologists, pediatricians, psychiatrists, etc.

Set the right example for your child

Children are like tourists who are very much interested in learning the ways of the people of this earth. It is desirable to constantly ask questions to clarify how to do many things ranging from greeting, feeding, dressing and other mannerisms. It is however more dignified and less time consuming to observe other people doing the same thing and emulate them. Sometimes children notice conflicting ways of doing things perhaps from television or from schools. They are then forced to observe their parents more closely to be able to choose what to put into practice. It is therefore very important for parents to walk their talk by exhibiting desirable behaviours in the family. If your child happens to catch you in a compromising position, you must volunteer the explanation readily to avoid despair and hopelessness on the part of the children.

Make rules and let the children participate in making of the rules

Parents are encouraged to work with their children towards setting up rules guiding different aspects of their family life. The children should be active participants in setting up these rules, or at least the rules should be explained to them in details. The consequences of breaking such rules should be made clear to every member of the family such that whenever rules are broken any person in the family should be able to know the punishment or consequences that follows.

Conclusion

Discipline at home is crucial and many families are perpetuating the cycle of practicing the wrong strategies with their children, and their children in turn pass it on. This perpetuating cycle of ineffective parenting has to be interrupted through learning, prayer and practice.