There are other ways to discipline
Spanking children is oftentimes the last resort for parents to discipline their children. But this is not the only message that parents are conveying when they do it, and kids often perceive spanking as unjust and unfair.
Here are five good reasons not to spank your child.
1) Spanking can be habit forming; you can start doing it without thinking. As adults it is not acceptable to hit other adults. Doing so may land you in jail for assault. Children are adults in training; the same rules should apply.
2) It can promote poor self-image. People do not feel worthwhile if their body is not respected. We all want our children to have a high self-esteem.
3) It teaches children that it is O.K. to hit others and may lead to violence with younger siblings.
4) As parents it sets a bad example. You are teaching your child to express their anger with violence. We must teach our children to express themselves peacefully.
5) Last with all the war in the world we need to teach our children that people are not for hitting. Adults are here to help children not to hurt them.
Try something new if your child is misbehaving. Take a moment to consider the following things before you discipline them.
1) Look at your child’s needs. Are they trying to get attention or express themselves?
2) Encourage your child to tell you what’s bothering them.
3) Redirect their behavior; show them a way to express themselves without misbehaving. For example show throw the ball for the dog, not at the dog.
4) Change the environment, if your child keeps pulling on the table cloth and knocking things over consider putting away the tablecloth.
5) Lower your expectations; children are young and don’t always know they are misbehaving. Try accepting them for who they are.
To read the resource article, go here.
