Discipline is a scary word for children as well as parents. For children it is often interpreted as punishment of some sort. For parents, it means setting the rules and making sure they are adhered to.
Nobody likes discipline yet all parents agree it is something that needs to be done so that the children do not turn out to be spoilt brats. However, parents are divided over the methods for disciplining.
Family life educator Charis Patrick says that discipline is not just about punishment.
“A lot of people think that discipline equals punishment. It carries that negative connotation. We have to know that punishment is just a subset of discipline. Discipline is simply defined as guiding a child to go in the way that he or she should go. Part of it involves punishing the child when they do wrong. It also involves affirming them, rewarding and encouraging them if they do something right. Discipline has a lot of positive connotations that we tend to miss out on.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
