Raising a child is extremely difficult; the ups are amazing, but the downs can make you question everything you believe in sometimes. One of the hardest parts of parenting is discipline. You love your kids, hate yelling at them, but want them to grow into adults who can tell the difference between right and wrong. It’s especially hard for me: I hate confrontation, being aggressive (or even assertive), and I wish everyone could just get along. I’m a hippy-dippy feel-good idealist; and I’m extremely happy with who I am. The only problem is that it makes life difficult not everyone is on the same page as me. Honestly, I have no idea how to discipline kids. The idea of it makes me sick, but so does the idea of having spoiled, entitled, rude brats. For what NOT to do when disciplining a child, check out this post by Matt Jacobson at For The Family. It’s written from a Christian perspective, but I think parents of other faiths, or even secular parents can benefit from the advice:
-Do not discipline in anger: it is extremely destructive in the long run
-Do not discipline because of pride: punishing your kids to get a stranger’s approval is harmful
-Do not discipline with continued condemnation after repentance: once they do the time, move on.
-Do not discipline without listening: gather all information before handing out consequences.
Photo Credit: Circa Sassy (Isn’t it great?? Hahahaha!)