by C.A. Ide

Created on: February 17, 2009   Last Updated: July 04, 2011

Disciplining your children may be one of the hardest parts of parenting. Some days it requires extreme patience. The key to effective discipline is consistency, even when you just can't handle another minute of your child's bad behavior. Most importantly, you have to teach your children by example.

As an adult, you must often do things that you would rather not. But you do them because they are a part of life. Explain this to your children and show them how to respond positively to these things, as well as with the right behavior. Listening, anger control and following directions all require self-discipline. If we want our kids to be adept at these things, then we must demonstrate proper behavior ourselves. Children are like sponges. They absorb everything that goes on around them at a very young age, including the bad behavior they see and hear. If your three-year-old screams at his younger sibling, when you just yelled at him hours before in the same manner, can you blame him? He's just mimicking you.

As a parent, you must also have self-discipline of another kind. Just because parenting can sometimes be a struggle, it doesn't mean you should take the easy way out. Do what is best for your children, first and foremost. This includes things like letting your baby learn how to fall asleep on their own, even though the 15 minutes of crying is wearing on your nerves (or your heart). It is sometimes hard to stand back and watch your child struggle when you just want to help. But sometimes it is what is best for them.

Also, don't skip disciplining your child just because you want them to have an easier life than the one you had. Children need structure and boundaries. They like routine and they like consistency. Childhood is a time of learning, exploration and development. But it is also a time for kids to learn the skills they need to handle adulthood. As stated on the website, Effective Parenting, children who are armed with the skills of self-discipline and a sense of responsibility will be more successful in handling the challenges we all face in life.

Child discipline can be hard on parents. Trying to also lead by example every day can be even harder. But if you really want your children to become happy, well-adjusted individuals, then you have to practice what you preach.

For additional information, go to: www.effectiveparenting.org

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