arm Consistent Discipline.arm Consistent Discipline.
Think of discipline as teaching style. How are you going to get an infant to
learn the right things? First of all don’t teach everything at once. We know
that infants who are constantly yelled at to "not touch this and that"—to "not
do this and that" go to preschool believing that they should wait until given
permission or encouragement to learn something new. They tend to do less well in
school over the long run.
A sensible course to take is to baby proof the house of an infant—cover as many electric sockets as possible. Move hazardous products like cleaning supplies and sharp objects up high. Keep doors to hazardous products locked with a baby latch (know it is not fool proof.) Put window guards on widows of the second floor if any beds are near the window. You are creating an environment in which a child will be able to be a natural scientist and explore his world safely—touching, tasting and banging everything so that he can discover its nature.
However a child cannot do everything he wants to. He cannot bite people and he cannot hit them. It is reasonable to have a rule "No hurting anyone in this house."
eaching a Child not to Bite or Hit| · If you see a child about to bite or hit, speak to them, "Do nice to Mommy." That may be enough. Sometimes you have to distract the baby to another task. That might be enough. |
| · If the child bites, say firmly, "Ow. That hurts." That might be enough. |
| · If a child tries to bite again, try to distract the baby and say "There is no hurting anyone in this house. No biting." That might be enough. |
| · If a child is persistent in trying to bite, say, "If you bite there will be a "TIME OUT." |
| · After this warning if the child bites, say, "That hurts. No biting. That is a "TIME OUT." |
| · Put the baby in a safe place for 1 minute for each year of life (This is a guide) . Use a play pen or crib or sometimes a couch or part of a rug. It is best if the child knows you are nearby. When the child calms down she can get up and play. You don’t need to discuss the problem with an infant. You are letting her know what a "TIME OUT" is. |
| · Over time you can say "I want this to stop. I will count to three. If you don’t stop you’ll need a time out." Children can give themselves time outs when they need to cool down and pull themselves together. |
| · If these measures are not working discuss it with your pediatric provider who will be able to make other suggestions. |
| Spanking | Non violent discipline |
| Hard to be consistent. | Easier to be consistent. |
| Creates anger and feelings of revenge which makes lesson harder to learn. | Helps child calm down and helps child learn lesson better. |
| Sometimes makes child think that "might makes right." | Makes child think that parents have reason for rules. |
| Easier to do for some families | Harder to do for some families |
| Makes children feel more resentment toward parents and authority | Makes children feel closer to parents and less resentment of authority. |
