Discipline in education: 4 effective tips

A component of being a good father or mother is inculcate discipline to our children. The discipline it is a necessary part of childhood because it teaches children important concepts such as authority, compliance with rules, self-control and responsibility. The discipline It does not have to diminish spontaneity, happiness or joy to our children. Instead, it provides them with the necessary freedom to explore and experience life within the safe limits we have set for them.

All children, in an intrinsic way, are born with a series of desires and preferences. From the first moments of life we ​​see how our children are already beginning to manifest their innate characteristics. In this lies the beauty of individuality. However, our little ones do not know what is good or bad for them. They do not have vital experiences, they can not foresee the consequences of their actions and they have no way of controlling their desires and impulses if we do not teach them how to do it.


Discipline is, simply, the way to show our children how we want them to behave so that they are well and nothing happens to them, so that they are well nourished, physically strong and healthy and that they become good and nice people. We teach them these life lessons to help them integrate seamlessly into all kinds of groups, at school and in their social environment.

How to inculcate discipline to children? 4 effective tips

A few guiding principles are all you need to instill in your child discipline safely and effectively:

1. Set limits and stick to them. Children are only capable of assimilating boundaries and boundaries if we, as parents, make them respect systematically. Children learn better and faster if we always apply the same limits and the same behavioral expectations. It is not efficient to create rules for when we are away from home if then they are not respected also at home.


to. Example. If we want our son to sit down at the table correctly, eat with his fork and speak quietly and without shouting when he is at the table, we have to practice and encourage such behaviors at home and in a systematic way, so that when we go to eat outside they know how to behave as expected of them.

2. The limits can not be negotiated with the child. Our son does not know what is best for him. Your desires are free desires, which can be the result of many different motivations. They are not the ones who have to choose their own limits. We, as parents, know what is best for them. That our children live up to our expectations is our responsibility. Children can try to oppose, but we have to help them to follow our instructions to the end and in the way we choose, not them. It is important that we, as parents that we are, maintain the power and authority.


to. Example. If we want our children to turn off the television and go to bed when we tell them it is time to go to sleep, what we can not say is "Yes" when they ask us to stay "5 minutes more".

3. Teach what rights and obligations are. Everyone is born with rights and also with obligations. When we live in a community, as in the case of a family, each member has a series of rights and obligations that must be fulfilled in order for everything to work like silk. Teaching children from a young age what rights and obligations are helps them to understand that following a series of rules (obligations) allows them to access their rights.

to. Example. A 4-year-old girl does not want to wear her shoes herself; he wants mom to put them on. Mama has told her that if she wants to go to the park she has to wear her shoes herself, like an older girl. Mom gives her daughter a period of 5 minutes to put on her shoes. If you put on your shoes before the end of the 5 minute period, they will go to the park. If not, Mom will explain that they no longer have time to go to the park to play because they have wasted all the time waiting for her to finish putting on her shoes. It is important that Mama does not extend the agreed time to put her shoes on, or she will lose her authority with that gesture (see point 2).

4. Maintain discipline as a discipline. It is helpful for parents to make it clear that discipline is something that is current and that is being applied in the family. It is important that the child does not feel confused or have doubts about the intentions or motivations of the parents in this regard. When a child does something that needs to be corrected, the parents should immediately show a clear and clear attitude change in order to capture the child's attention and make him see that the discipline is being put into practice.

Normally, this attitude change includes the following elements: use the child's name when we address him, direct eye contact, a voice lower than normal, serious face, and a clear and sincere conversation (using the tone and the vocabulary appropriate to your degree of maturity) in which you explain what you have done wrong and how it should be corrected. After that, the father or mother has to return to their usual attitude to show that the "moment of the teachings" is over.

Using jokes or sarcasm can confuse children. Also, the help of rhetorical questions can be equally confusing and unclear. Children may not be able to know when parents are imposing discipline and when they are funny. Defining a clear standard of discipline helps a lot in clarifying the situation and avoiding ambiguities.

to. Example. Juan knows he can not play the ball inside the house. Juan ignores this family rule and accidentally hits a picture that is hanging on the wall and falls to the ground. The father hears the noise and calls Juan by his name. When Juan arrives at his father's place, he says in a low voice and with a serious face "You knew that in our family one of the rules is that you can not play the ball at home, you have not obeyed that rule and as a consequence , you have broken a painting, you are punished this weekend and, in addition, you will have to do some more homework at home, saying that, go and pick up the mess that you have assembled with the broken picture. extra you'll have to do. " Later, Juan and his father talk about the importance of family rules and norms.

Some parents may find discipline a hard and arduous subject, but when discipline is applied based on love and affection it becomes a tool to raise happy and confident children. All of us are subject to some kind of discipline in our lives; p. eg, the police in our city, our boss at work or the regulatory agencies (eg, Treasury) at the state level. Children need to learn this discipline from their parents in order to put self-control into practice, which will make them self-confident and able to face their mistakes or problems without undermining their self-esteem.

Deanna Marie Mason, expert in education and family health. Blog author Dr. Deanna Marie Mason. Proactive fatherhood Professional support for the modern family.

It may interest you:

- Discipline or affection in the education of children: that is the question!

- Limits and norms in the education of children: objectives

- Limits on education: why should we set standards for children?

- Discipline: how to promote self-discipline in children?

Video: Classroom Management Tips to Discipline Preschool Kids : Preschool Education & Beyond


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