Disciplining is the process of teaching children to know the behavior that is acceptable and that which is not acceptable. It is not essay to discipline a child and there are no hard and fast rules regarding how parents should discipline their children. There are various approaches that parents can take to ensure that children follow instructions. These approaches my include punishing children for wrong doing and rewarding them for good behavior. However, one must consider the possible consequences of various approaches before embarking on disciplining a child. By design, some parents adopt approaches depending on how they were raised without considering the pros and cons. Of note is that there is more information regarding the effects of different disciplining methods. A look at the traditional spanking or corporal punishment method and the contemporary reward system will provide a better depiction of the possible effects, and which of the two methods is more effective.
Spanking or corporal punishment refers to the use of cane to strike children for wrong doing. Those that favor spanking do it because their parents used the approach with them and they think that it worked with them. Some believe that when used in the correct manner, spanking is an appropriate method of disciplining children. As such, those that result to the use of corporal punishment believe that the best approach is trying to understand the child first. This can be done by ensuring that a child is aware of what is expected of them, denying the child some privileges and using spanking as a backup.
However, various studies indicate that corporal punishment is detrimental to children. For instance, some studies show that spanking can be humiliating to children and may cause trauma, resentment, and aggression. Such studies illustrate that children who receive regular spanking are likely to commit juvenile crimes such as assaulting other children. Such aggression may continue even when children reach adulthood where they are likely cause physical harm to their children or marital partners. Accordingly, some researches show that spanking can cause physical harm to children and they may not learn the lesson that the parent intends to convey. This method of disciplining can damage the relationship between parents and their children. Parents that favor the use of corporal punishment as a way of disciplining their kids are believed to have shallow problem-solving skills.
On the other hand, rewarding children for good behavior is a contemporary approach of disciplining children. Studies show that this approach is the most effective because the approach acknowledges children’s good behavior. Rewarding children for their good behavior is the best way to encourage kids to continue displaying such conduct. This approach also entails complementing children when they adhere to the behavior that the parent has been advocating. This approach improves the relationship between parents and children.
Rewarding children for their behavior makes the children know that they are behaving in the right manner. An effective reward system requires a blend of tangible and intangible rewards. Tangible rewards are more effective among young children and may include giving toys and chocolate. Consequently, intangible rewards are applicable to children of all ages and involves hugging and parents telling their children that they are proud of their conduct. As such, children will avoid engaging in bad behavior because they do not want to upset their parents and in the process they become well-behaved. Eventually, as the children mature they become law abiding and responsible citizens.
As regards the foregoing, corporal punishment tends to overlook the best behavior of a child. Conversely, the reward approach concentrates on developing good behaviors while discouraging bad behavior. Children are likely to continue displaying the behavior that is rewarded. As such, letting the children know that they are doing what is expected of them through rewards is a more effective approach than spanking. Using rewards recognizes that children are humans just like their parents hence they are not perfect otherwise they would not need the guidance of their parents till they reach adulthood. As such, rewarding good behavior as a way of disciplining children arguably produces the best results. After all, discipline is not about punishing children, it is about allowing children to develop self-discipline and evolve to socially and emotionally mature adults.
