Discipline Your Child: Without Going to Jail

Can you imagine your child enjoying discipline? It can be done! There’s a way to use discipline to instruct rather than punish your child. Punishments, especially spanking, slapping, restricting privileges and taking things away, inevitably lead your child to anger or depression - both of which make it more difficult to gain control. Anger provokes defiance and depression curbs motivation. As a Behavioral-Developmental Pediatrician currently practicing Child Psychiatry in Southwest Florida, I’ve taught parents how to use discipline to guide their children away from misbehavior, motivate them to embrace right behavior and actually enjoy the process. The secret to effective and enjoyable discipline for your child is to offer affection as a reward for right behavior. When affection is doled out carefully and thoughtfully, it becomes ever more valuable and attractive as an inducement to right behavior.