Discipline your child to give them a learning experience, not just punishment. Many ways exist to help you accomplish that balance without resorting to violence or other actions that are improper at best and illegal at worst. Discipline can help teach a child that specific behaviors are wrong or dangerous and remind him not to engage in them again. An appropriate form of discipline for your child works without harming them.
Time-Out
Time-out is a time-honored tradition in parenting that separates a child from the action being punished while giving her time to reflect on how to make better choices. When a child is naughty, she is told to sit in a specific place for a specific amount of time--usually one minute per year of age. Once the time finishes, the child will explain what she was doing, why it was wrong, apologize, and then get a hug from mom or dad to indicate that the incident is over. Supernanny Jo Frost has further popularized the technique with her "naughty step" program. Time-outs don't work every time, she admits, but prove useful if used consistently and over a long period of time.
Chores
A little hard labor can go a long way in teaching your child the consequences of his actions. Create a chore jar that contains mundane tasks--cleaning up sticks in the yard or folding laundry, for instance--, and have your child complete a task when he is naughty. This method of discipline is most effective for children who don't respond to time out because it gives them a task to remind them to behave in the future.
Losing Privileges
List a chart in your home that details the consequences of bad behavior. The first offense could mean losing a gaming system for a day, while a more severe offense can include losing television privileges for a weekend. Young children can lose toys if they are fighting over them, too. Some parents take away fun snacks and replace them with nutritious, but boring, foods to teach a discipline lesson.
Behavior Charts
Some children respond best to positive discipline. If you child has a particularly bothersome behavior, create a chart that allows him to see his progress towards better actions. For instance, if bedtime is a fight each evening, create a chart that allows a child one night to stay up an extra hour or two if he goes to bed without a problem for 14 days. Or reward him with a prized toy or game if he complies with the new, good behavior. In her book, "The Verbal Behavior Approach: Teaching Children with Autism and Related Disorders," behavior analyst Mary Barbara reports that all children will work for rewards that are important to them, so finding the right form of positive reinforcement can be helpful.
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