Discipline can be taken as a negative word, but we must move past the pseudo definition to understand what it truly means. Disciplining your child is simply working on their manners, obeying rules, teaching them how to respect every individual equally and most importantly guiding them to understand what is right from wrong. Disciplining does not have to mean fear, consequences for not following something do not have to mean physically beating the child.

If you are a concerned parent that has been worrying about: how do you discipline a child that doesn’t listen, ways to discipline a child without hitting, is it okay for parents to physically discipline their child, why is it important to discipline your child or how do you discipline a child without hitting and yelling? Then read on because this article will guide you through 6 effective ways you can discipline your child.

First things first, physically beating or yelling at your child will only instill fear in them. They will learn ways to hide their tracks and start hiding things from you knowing that discovery of a mistake results in yelling and hitting. Physically beating a child to do anything or for doing something will only result in confusion and trauma that they may never recover from. Don’t you wish that your parents sat you down and spoke to you gently instead of using archaic methods such as belts and spatulas? Although now you discuss it with friends and have a jolly good laugh, as a child how did that impact you? What is the guarantee that your child reacts the exact same way that you did? Your child may lose track and start disliking the practice and do whatever it takes to hide things from you, something that will be very difficult to recover from. It is incredibly important that your child has a level of comfort and bond with you where they can approach you in cases of emergency instead of living a duplicate life all together. Healthy ways to discipline a child without hitting exist and must be adapted by parents to disciple their children.

Show don’t tell: what children see, children do. If you want your child to stop burying their head in a phone, pull yourself out of the pit or show them that there is a world around them that they can focus on. If they won’t eat their vegetables ensure that they see you eat them too. Children are easy to influence and they are keen observers. It is almost as if they are always watching and a minute mistake or word registers in their teeny tiny brains.

Set boundaries: it is important to understand the need for boundaries. Parents and children need to follow them equally. Just as important it is to ensure that your child is not locking the door it is also important to make sure you are not reading their diary. From a young age, a child should know what is off limits. A lot of times we witness children throwing a tantrum and physically thwarting their energy by hitting/scratching/yelling at the parent. Parents should instantly discourage this behavior by advocating consequences. Those that do not involve hitting them back or embarrassing them in public.

Consequences: the consequences do not have to be that of physically hurting the child or instilling excessive fear in them. Parents can take away screen time, set a time out, give them household chores, send them to their room or reduce their free time. But most importantly, they should explain to them why what they did was wrong and is unacceptable without making the child feel less of an individual. Before setting any boundary and providing consequences parents must calmly and sternly explain to the child why it is important to have these rules and that if they do not behave there will be consequences that affect their day-to-day activities that they enjoy.

Listen: as parents we may overshadow the child. Our authoritative figure gives us too many benefits and we enjoy the fact that we can ‘boss’ around just as our parents, siblings, guardians did with us! This is a big no-no. The cycle of illogical conditioning must be broken. Give your child the time and space to speak. Let them tell you their side of the story even if it is silly or makes no sense. This will not only allow your child to accept their mistakes but also give them confidence. There is a difference between authoritative and authoritarian parenting. Authoritative parenting is when a parent is strict yet nurturing whereas authoritarian parenting is when a parent is strict and works based on fear. What would you want your child to remember?

Attention: a lot of times a troublesome child that doesn’t want to listen arises from the child not getting enough attention. Every child wants their parent’s attention, while you pay attention to your child encourage good behavior and discourage bad behavior to let them know how you feel.

Let them be: a lot of times parents obsess over telling their children what and what not to do. If your child wants to break their toy, let them. If your child wants to keep throwing their cookies on the floor, let them. When the toy is broken and the plate is empty, they won’t have what they wanted and eventually will learn what to not do even if it is fun for a little while. They will understand that their actions have consequences even if you do not involve yourself in them.

Children seem easy, but they are complex creatures that can tire us out. When we are not with them, we worry about them. When we are with them, we worry about their future and how they will be perceived by society and if they will be able to make a place for themselves in it. Disciplining your child can seem like the toughest task, but preschools in Bangalore like New Horizon Vidya Mandir (NHVM) adds to your effort and helps you out in becoming the best version of yourself for your child. The best playschools in Bangalore and best nursery schools in Bangalore help parents in the process of discipling their child, softly yet effectively. Preschools in Bangalore ensure every child is attended to and taken care of perfectly. Nursery schools in Bangalore and preschools in Bangalore like NHVM – the best preschool in Bangalore churn out sensitive, kind, inspiring explorers that can take over the world!

Admissions are open now.