Disciplining Children

Here you will find some tips for disciplining your child, getting rid of your child’s unwanted behaviors, and letting them learn the consequences of their actions.

How you want to discipline or “teach” your child should be discussed prior to marriage. Yes, it’s too late to discover you and your spouse have differing opinions on this after you’re married, much less after you have children! (Especially if one or both of you have strong views!). However, I think if you are in this situation these tips will give you some ground to agree on.

Here are some resources and methods that I have found helpful in raising my three children, two of which are boys (if that tells you anything!). My middle child is the definition of stubborn! My older child is the witty one who is always trying to figure out a way to do what he wants that gets around what he’s not allowed to do. My youngest, at age 3, is learning early on that tantrums and back-talking don’t last long in our house!

I do not like corporal punishment and do not resort to that unless absolutely necessary. The Love and Logic Institute provides numerous books, CDs, and seminars for parents offering an alternative to corporal punishment with explanations as to why their method works. This method teaches children the natural consequences of their actions and how they must face and deal with them. It prepares the child for the path of life and doesn’t change the path for the child. We have to raise our children and prepare them for adulthood, the realities they will face so that they are prepared to deal with them and understand them.

For instance, how many times do you tell your child to get out of bed and get ready for school? If it’s more than once you’re doing a disservice to your child. When they are an adult and have a job will they be responsible and reliable enough to get up and get ready, and get to work on time with the way you’re raising him/her right now? The number of times you have to tell or remind your child to do something is the degree to which they will not be able to do it on their when they are an adult. Just something to think about in the way you are raising your child.

If you need ideas and support on how to do this then I HIGHLY recommend reading one of Love & Logic’s books or listening to their CDs. They also have an e-mail they send out periodically with stories and solutions to every-day situations we have with our children from babies to teens. You can sign up for this at their website.

When my oldest son was three years old I was breastfeeding my younger son. I was at my wit’s end when we were having 10 time-outs per day! He did not care! My church offered the Parenting with Love and Logic classes, which are not spiritual based. This method turned my life around! Their common-sense approaches to disciplining children allowed me to get a hold of my son’s unwanted behaviors and turn them around in a loving manner. It really works!

Love and logic parenting can solve problems from tantrums to teens staying out past curfew. They love to hear success stories from parents and share them with other parents in order to teach and show them how this method works.

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