The words discipline and punishment are often used to mean the same thing. However, they are very different from each other. Discipline is the technique of helping a child to learn self-control and how to behave in a way that is socially acceptable to others. Discipline should always focus on the positive reinforcement and self esteem of the child. The purpose of discipline is to help a child learn how to control their behavior and emotions and should be further reinforced with firm reminders. Punishment is a style of discipline. There are several forms of physical punishment including spanking or hitting. And, there are psychological punishments such as taking away privileges or sending a child to their room. The purpose of punishment is control the unacceptable behavior.
Discipline and punishment techniques both attempt to correct behavior. Punishment removes the accountability for the misbehavior from the child. Children need to learn that they need to take accountability for their own actions to be able to exercise self-control so that they can be successful as well respected adults. The objective of punishment is to stop a child from misbehaving. However, punishment usually only stops the behavior at the time the punishment is given. Punishment does not teach a child how to not repeat the behavior in the future. Severe punishments can cause physical and emotional damage that could last throughout a child's life. Severe punishments can also lead to abuse.
Another difference between discipline and punishment is that punishment only works in the present. If a child is punished by being spanked or screamed at, they will learn not to misbehave when someone can see what they are doing and they are not learning how to not misbehave in the future. Discipline is designed to teach a child how to exercise self-control and how to not repeat the misbehavior in the future.
Discipline and punishment are different in that discipline is a continuous development process that allows parents to teach their child self-control and the importance of acceptable behavior. Parents have a responsibility to clearly communicate their expectations to their child including what is acceptable behavior and what is not acceptable behavior. There are many discipline choices, and punishment is one of them. Punishment can work in the moment, but to truly change behaviors in a child, a parent needs to commit to a discipline process that is ongoing throughout their child's development
No comments:
Post a Comment