Before punishing your child, ask yourself these five questions and answer them honestly. When in doubt, it’s best to put the punishment aside and calmly talk to your child about the misbehavior.
1. Are there clear rules in my house?
Without clearly defined rules, children act on their own. Punishing little tomboys for not knowing these rules is unfair. It is not enough to establish requirements, it is necessary to explain the consequences of the violation so that it is easier for the child to adapt to them. Setting boundaries is a parental responsibility and not only the young violator, but also all relatives should not violate them. If family commandments are violated and go unnoticed, then the punishment will not bring any benefit, the child will not understand why it is impossible today, but yesterday it was possible.
2. Do you really want to punish?
Children make mistakes, sometimes, it happens often. It is unwise to punish every time a child does something wrong. Think about what action really deserves punishment, and what needs to be explained. Children need to understand that actions have consequences, but the concept of parental indulgence is also vital to them.
3. Is the punishment appropriate for this offense?
If you think the behavior should be punished, think of a measure. Too harsh and too soft are ineffective, choose a middle ground between them, for example, a ban on watching cartoons. Never choose to help clean the house as a punishment. Also remember that a mug broken on purpose and accidentally broken are completely different things.
4. Am I under the influence of emotions?
The worst is the mother’s anger and emotional punishment. If you let your emotions get the better of you, you will regret it after a while. Wait a bit and calm down, this will allow you to objectively assess the situation and deprive the child of emotional and physical scars.
5. What experience will the baby get?
When a baby plays pranks and then suffers from it (for example, he tore his favorite clothes or scratched his cat), he learns a valuable life lesson. Is it worth punishing the little victim in this case? A reminder of the violation will suffice, don’t let the punishment become more important than the experience gained.