There are few more emotive issues in today's society than parenting discipline. Ask a hundred parents what child discipline is and you'll probably get a hundred different responses. The parenting discipline landscape has changed considerably during the last fifty years, with more emphasis placed on mental discipline than physical.



In this article, we will examine what is considered implementing new age parenting disciplines which are becoming more widely accepted, particularly in the western world.

The Days Of Corporal Punishment

There was a time when copping a whack on the bottom was part and parcel of growing up as a child. It was called corporal punishment and was not only invoked at home but was also dealt out at school. Remember the cane? I do and so would many others of the baby boomer era. Was it wrong? This is where you have to be careful because new age parenting disciples have become so dead set opposed to any form of corporal punishment that any mention of it now has connotations of child abuse. I didn't like it but did it affect my becoming a model citizen? The answer is a firm no!

Examining Some Good Discipline Practice

So what are considered good parenting practices today? Well, pyschology seems to be in vogue. Here are some examples:

- Don't yell at your child. Why? Because it's been determined that children respond more when approached in a calmer fashion. This doesn't mean you need to bribe a child. Pointing out errors in a calm and controlled fashion will earn you more respect in the child's eyes, particularly from a mentoring perspective as opposed to yelling and demanding. Ask yourself this... what would you respond and respect more, being yelled at or spoken to in a calm tone?

- Give your children the opportunity to have their say but be careful not to give them adult privileges. That is, maintain your authority in a positive and firm way. The child will respect you for allowing him/her to be heard but should know that you set the rules and they are expected to abide by them. Break the rules and they will be disciplined.

- Be careful not to attack a child's self esteem. A child who is continually told they are useless are going to grow up thinking what... they are useless. Praise should be given when appropriate however, too much praise can also be a dangerous thing. Why? Because a child will expect it and if it's not forthcoming, even for the most trivial thing, it can affect their self esteem. You need to find the right balance.

- As parents, presenting a united front is vital. Parents who disagree continually on appropriate punishment in front of a child are headed for trouble. Trouble in the fact that children are very perceptive and learn quickly. If one parent shows too much compassion all the time guess what? The child will pick up on this and establish his/her own higher ground in the battle of getting at least one parent on side for their own agendas.

Comparing parenting disciplines from bygone eras is quite interesting. On the surface things are certainly done differently but a closer examination begs the question... have the core base rules of parenting discipline really changed?