The role of parents towards their children is enormous, from instilling moral values to guiding, providing, discipline, and several others, to mention but few. When it comes to disciplining a child, parents utilize different methods to correct their young ones when they do something wrong, as I've also gone through that stage before. I can remember sometimes rod is what we use, and at other times it is words of caution, advice, and guidance that are used as a punishment; regardless of which is used, both are effective. Although not many people in our world today buy the ideal of corporal punishment, neither do I.
Although at the moment I'm not yet a parent, then I've got children who look up to me as father and even call me one, and for me to play the role of a method to them, then I myself must be willing to live a lifestyle that's worthy of emulation. I mean, I can't be teaching my child about doing good and being truthful, and yet I myself lie on several occasions in their presence; that will make my words lose their essence, and even when I punish them, it'll be seen as much of bullying than correction because I myself do the same thing.
I understand the above isn't the focal point of the write-up, but then I had to chip it in because I see several parents discipline their children for offenses they themselves do on several occasions in the present or the kids, and yet you punish them for doing the same. That's not ideal; children don't only learn of what we say but also from our actions, and it's both that go on to shape their own habits, but if we live upright, then you don't need to be worried about what I said and should use the methods that work for you in disciplining your children.
One thing I've learned about discipline when it comes to a child is that words of mouth are much more effective than corporal punishment. Although that doesn't mean I disregard the effectiveness of corporal punishment, it's just that sitting a child down and having a heart-to-heart conversation with them can help them realize their wrongdoing, know the implications of such, and have a change of heart to not do such against, depending on how well we communicate with them about the dangers of such an act.
But in a situation when you just flog each time a child did something wrong, it'll get to a point where the child's body adapts to the abuse, and by then they won't be afraid of your punishment again, but instead indulge in their bad act, knowing and daring you that the worst you'll do is flog them. For me personally, I believe calling a spade a spade is the best approach; let the child know what path it's traveling towards; he or she continues in it.
I see some parents use some extreme approach to punish their children when they do something wrong, and I'm like, wow, that's terrible. Some parents will, in the name of punishment, starve their kids for days; others will even take their own child to the army barracks to be drilled and punished by the military personnel; that's overboard and shouldn't be a thing within parents.
In fact, in my opinion, such a child will think deeply and question if you're actually their parents because no parent is supposed to be that cruel to a child of their own. Through such an act of punishment, some children will run away from home and roam around the street until they're influenced into something far worse than why you punished them.
When it comes to raising a child, everything about it must be down with love, be it provision, guidance, or discipline. When it's not done with love, it makes the such discipline go extreme and lead to something worse. You can imagine parents that lay curses on their own kids all in the name of discipline or extreme corporal punishment that lead to such a child having several bruises. This will diminish the love and respect such a child has for their parents; for me personally, I prefer correcting with love in words to physical punishment.
All photos are mine.
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