At work, when I should have been working I was having a conversation with another intern about kids and family (let it be known that I actually got a substantial amount of work done, I was only taking a mental break).
While talking to my coworker I brought up the idea of her having kids one day. Of my friends and close associates I am the only one my age with a child. Surprisingly, she was open to the idea; the only thing that she was afraid of was the area of discipline. She thought that her kids would run wild because she’d be too much of a sucker to discipline them when they did something wrong.
I had never thought about it before, but I believe that discipline is an important part of a child’s learning yet it’s something that is highly contested. Some adults don’t believe in it, and others swear by it. My daughter is the age where she is exploring and by exploring I mean touching and attempting to eat everything she can get her little hands on. Her favorite items to “explore” are the fan, loose change, my iPhone, and electrical cords—yep, I guess she’s a bit of a dare-devil.
Growing up I was no stranger to a belt, but as a result I respect my mother and would never desire to or imagine doing some of the crazy things that people do these days. While it sounds harsh, kids need negative reinforcement just as much as they need positive reinforcement. Therefore, I say discipline your kids within reason and ensure that every time you do you are teaching them a clear lesson about what you’re doing and why.
Peyton is only 8 months so she only gets a pat on the hand. And trust me her dare-devil status earns her plenty of stern warnings and hand taps. As she gets older hopefully she’ll continue to learn from this and understand that discipline is meant to help and shape her into an admirable human being with integrity who knows right from wrong. So, remember spare the rod, spoil the child…interpret this how you will but just ensure that you are fair with your discipline and that your child is able to learn from and understand what he or she has done wrong.
The Brio 