When most people hear the word discipline, the first thing that comes to mind is punishment. However, discipline implies education, instruction and correction. Positive discipline has 3 important elements. They include:

Love

Discipline must be accompanied by love, as you are trying to direct your child to walk on the right path. One way to ensure that your discipline is loving is to give your child a chance to explain himself. You should never jump to conclusions, as the situation may be very different from what she thinks. If you suspect that the explanation given is not true, investigate the matter further to obtain the truth, even if it means that you will have to take more time to deal with the matter. When discipline is administered after the child has had a chance to explain himself, he is more likely to get positive results. After listening to your child, explain why what she did was wrong. Explain the matter gently; do not scream.

Sanity

If any type of punishment will be administered, make sure it is reasonable. The punishment should not be light when a serious wrong has been committed and it should not be heavy when the wrong done is very small. Both will have a negative effect. To ensure discipline is reasonable, you must first consider your child’s age and maturity. If a 7-year-old boy commits the same wrong as a 14-year-old boy, the discipline should not be the same. The younger child is not as mature as the older one and has less knowledge of what is wrong and what is right than the 14 year old. Another thing to consider is whether the mistake has become a habit. If this is the first time the mistake has been made, then you can explain to your child why it is wrong. However, if the mistake is repeated several times, a punishment may be necessary.

You should also consider your child’s attitude and all the circumstances that led to the mistake. Once all of these aspects have been taken into account, you are more likely to administer reasonable discipline.

Consistency

This is very important. Once he says no to her son, he must stick with her decision. When you change your mind, your child may not take you seriously and your child’s discipline will not be effective. Also, be sure to come to an agreement with your spouse so that one parent doesn’t say yes and the other no. When you stick to one answer, your child is more likely to cooperate with you.