By: Natasha Archary
There are many methods of discipline parents adopt to instil in their children the rules around good behaviour.
Some use the “naughty corner”, while others prefer methods that don’t have negative connotations.
Instead of a punishment for bad behaviour, parents would rather reward good behaviour, as an example. With rules for the home and then when you’re going to be out and about, Feel Good with Andy Maqondwana wanted to know what these were.
Setting a firm foundation with discipline at an early age is important to establish a standard that children should aspire to. The last thing parents want to deal with are public tantrums or unruly behaviour at the homes of friends or family.
No parent is exempt from misbehaviour
No parent is exempt from misbehaviour, as moms in the public eye have on occasion been at the receiving end of their child/ren acting out.
Recently, footage of Kate Middleton’s son, Prince Louis being disrespectful to her at the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations had people around the world questioning her parenting.
While some say, most 4-year olds react that way at some point and his behaviour was normal as he was probably tired, others admonished Kate for having no control of her child in a public space.
The same was said about Kim Kardashian, whose son Saint blurted out some nasty comments on an Instagram live.
Both mothers spoke to their children when they acted out, and although their actions were highly criticised, given the spotlight on them, that was the best they could do.
Kids will be kids. They will test your calm state of mind, push every button you have and cause you to raise your voice every now and then. Okay, who are we kidding, most of the time but a strict parenting style that adopts the “my way or the highway” approach may lead to children who grow up with anger issues and depression.
Research shows that being too strict with your child can have negative effects on the child and does not necessarily produce children who are well-behaved.
Establishing ground rules
Ground rules would mean your child understands where the lines of bad behaviour lay. Setting expectations are a good way for children to know that you mean it when you say “stop that” or “no.”
Some rules parents instil in their kids include:
- Not touching other people’s things
- No is no!
- Don’t jump on people’s furniture
- Never speak out of turn
- Also say please and thank you
- Don’t listen in when grown-ups talk
Also read: Parenting wellness: Take a night off
