Discipline Ideas

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Need creative alternatives to punishment, discipline ideas and approaches to redirecting toxic situations? Find tons of discipline tips for parents and caregivers here!

PRESCHOOLERS

Disciplining young children can be exasperating and creative discipline can be hard to come up with on the spot. Toddlers don't have the verbal skills nor the complex thought processes to understand much. Empathy has not yet been established and preschoolers are notoriously egocentric.

If you notice that your child isn't responding any differently even after the fifth attempt at a time-out, you might want to change your approach.

OLDER CHILDREN

Childhood discipline can be just as demanding for parents. Kids have their own sense of authority and self-worth. They demand to be heard and valued and they expect their thoughts and ideas to be taken into consideration.

Yet still, parents may need to assume final authority in instances of safety. Protecting your child while fostering a sense of deep connection is a delicate process. Disciplining children is not a precise method nor are there easy fixes.

It's a long [sometimes] hard road of getting to know your child, being patient with your child's growing pains and learning to reclaim your own sense of fun and wonder about the world. If you give up too soon, out of frustration or convenience, you may find yourself falling into the Old Parenting Paradigm ways of authoritarian control and unyielding conformity that only lead to power struggles and more parenting problems down the road.

Set your family up for success!

Below are 38 tips from the book, Natural Family Living by Peggy O'Mara, editor and publisher of Mothering Magazine. These discipline ideas can help you personalize your own parenting style so that you can guide your children gently to new boundaries and to making ethical decisions.

1. Positive reinforcement (use appropriately)

2. Create a positive environment.

3. Say yes as much as possible.

4. Save no for the important things.

5. Use natural consequences.

6. Use logical consequences.

7. Use restitution.

8. Leave it up to your child.

9. Compromise.

10. State your expectations, and get out of the way.

11. Give specific instructions.

12. Give a reason.

13. Offer help.

14. Give a choice.

15. Redirect your child.

16. Remove your child.

17. Make positive statements.

18. Give in occasionally.

19. Give your child time to agree.

20. Simply insist.

21. Make rules.

22. Ignore some behavior.

23. Avoid nagging and threats.

24. Distract your child.

25. Use humor.

26. Make it a game.

27. Be willing to admit your mistakes.

28. Stop and think before you act.

29. Don't make a big fuss over little things.

30. Stick to routines.

31. Don't hurry your children too much.

32. Get to the root of the problem.

33. Correct one behavior at a time.

34. Give yourselves time.

35. Use the golden rule.

36. Model appropriate behavior.

37. Think of your child as an equal.

38. Always keep your love for your child in mind.