One component of being a good parent is instilling discipline in our children. The discipline is a necessary part of childhood because it teaches children important concepts such as authority, abides by the rules, self – control and responsibility.
The discipline does not have to subtract spontaneity, happiness and joy to our children. Instead, it gives them the freedom to explore and experience life within the safe limits we have set for them.
All children, intrinsically, are born with a series of wishes and preferences. From the first moments of life, we see how our children already begin to manifest their innate characteristics.
However, our little ones do not know what is good or bad for them. They have no life experiences, they cannot foresee the consequences of their actions, and they have no way of controlling their desires and impulses if we do not teach them how to do it or we can teach them with the help of very easy trivia questions related to the discipline and how to control their desires.
The discipline is simply a way to show our children how we want to behave so that they are well and nothing happens to them, so they are well-fed, physically strong and healthy and to become good and nice people.
We teach them these life lessons to help them integrate seamlessly into all kinds of groups, at school and in their social environment.
How to instill discipline in children? 4 effective tips
A few guiding principles are all you need to instill discipline in your child safely and effectively:
- Set limits and stick to them: Children are only capable of assimilating limits and boundaries if we, as parents, systematically enforce them. Children learn better and faster if we always apply the same limits and the same behavior expectations.
- Limits cannot be negotiated with the child: Our son does not know what is best for him. Your wishes are free wishes, which can be the result of many different motivations.
It is not they who have to choose their own limits. That our children live up to our expectations is our responsibility. Children may try to oppose it, but we have to help them follow our instructions to the end and in the way that we choose, not them.
- Teach him what rights and obligations are: Everyone is born with rights and also with obligations. When we live in community, as in the case of a family, each member has a series of rights and obligations that must be fulfilled in order for everything to work like silk.
Teaching children from an early age what rights and obligations are helping them understand that following a set of rules (obligations) enables them to access their rights.
- Maintain discipline as a discipline: It is helpful for parents to make clear that discipline is something that is in place and is being applied in the family.
It is important that the child does not feel confused or have doubts about the parents’ intentions or motivations in this regard.
When a child does something that needs to be corrected, parents should immediately show a clear and obvious change in attitude to capture the child’s attention and make him see that the discipline is being practiced.