Fostering responsibility and instilling a sense of discipline in children should start at a very young age. For example, a young child sits in the highchair having milk. When finished, the infant throws the bottle away. The youngster hears the “thump” sound and likes it. When the mother picks up the bottle, the infant is getting a message that, to a certain extent, the mother can be controlled.
The mother decides that she is not going to let her child behave this way. The mother does not discipline by threatening or punishing; she simply makes sure her hand is ready when the baby finishes the milk. She then removes the bottle and cleans his face while talking to him. The mother begins to teach the child responsible behavior at a very young age.
Very young people cannot be left to their own devices. It is a parent’s responsibility to protect the child and offer discipline when necessary. For example, if a child runs into the street, a parent can pick up the child and put the youngster on the sidewalk. The parent can talk to the child about the dangers of cars but needs not make the child feel blameworthy for the innocent act. Rather than focusing on what the child did wrong, a wiser approach to discipline is to have the youngster develop a procedure to prevent a re-occurrence. You can find many insights to developing procedures as a discipline approach by searching this blog site.
