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Alternatives to Child Punishment

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If you are looking for alternatives to child punishment, then this article is for you. There are a few reasons as to why you should not spank your child. One reason being you can inflict mental trauma on your little child thus possibly scarring him or her for life. Another reason is that if you are forced to spank your child to change his/her behavior, then you are basically admitting to being outsmarted by a child and are thus being forced to use physical force to gain your own way. Having said that, there are effective ways to discipline your child without hurting him or her.

Here's what I came up with after doing plenty of research, and some trial and error. Logical and natural consequences for one's behavior will reinforce one's awareness of what is acceptable and unacceptable. What does this mean?

1. If your child leaves his/her brand new bike out in the front yard overnight and it gets stolen, then you do not buy your child a new bike. In fact, you should let your child know that if he/she had taken care of the bike and put it in a safer place, then he/she would still have a bike. As part of any child punishments, gently chiding them in such manner is very effective in getting your point across to them.

2. If your child hits his/her playmate, then you should remove him/her from the group. You should talk to your child and do not allow him/her to play with others for a couple of days. Then do so, but let your child know that he/she is only playing on a trial basis. Make sure your child knows that violent behavior towards others will not be tolerated.

3. If your child throws a hissy fit in a restaurant, then you should remove him/her from the situation right away. Don't spoil the evening for others. Let your child know that he/she won't be dining out with you again, unless he/she has proven that he/she can behave in public.

I could go on, but I believe that anyone that has read this far is definitely capable of thinking some ways to discipline a child. The main idea is to use a little psychology and a little behavior modification. Child corporal punishment is strictly not recommended. Always try to use a lot of love when you discipline your child.