Today we’re going to look at some alternatives to punishment for children. No one wants to punish their child, but sometimes it feel like that’s the only way to get them to listen to you. This isn’t true however, as there are plenty of different ways you can go about doing this. In this article we look at what some of those ways are, as well as why you should think about using alternatives to punishing you kids.
Why Would You Need An Alternative To Punishment?
So, why would you want an alternative to punishment? Well, quite simply because punishing your child too much can have negative effects. While punishment can be effective when used sparingly, if you get your child in the routing of punishment, a few things will likely happen:
- They’ll get used to it. Once they are used to being punished all the time, these punishments won’t have as much effect anymore. This’ll lead to your punishments becoming less of a deterrent to your child.
- They’ll start getting frustrated. If you can’t or won’t explain to them why they are in trouble, they won’t know how to change things around. They will begin to think it’s unfair, and lash out even more. In other words, it can make the things you’re trying to fix even worse.
- They won’t know how to express themselves. Crying, lashing out, and other things parents associate as being bad behaviour are all ways of young children trying to express themselves. Instead of trying to stifle their expression, you need to let them express themselves in a safe manner. There’s more on this in The Happy Child Guide (We called it the best child behavior book you can buy, so check out review of it there).
Punishment isn’t always the answer, so a different method of controlling your kids is always useful.
What Is An Alternative To Punishment For Kids?
Well, one alternative to punishment for kids is empowering them with knowledge. A lot of things that young children do that can be seen as misbehaving, is often just the child experimenting. They don’t know much about the world, they are just trying new things out to see what happens. If you can show your child that what they are doing is wrong, they will be more likely to stop doing that. Some things may take a little while to get into their head, but if you stay strong and adamant that they can’t do that, it will sink in sooner or later.
Another one of my favourite alternatives to punishment is listening to them. While this may not sound like something that will change the way they behave, it really is. A lot of misbehaviour is cause by the child just wanting to get something off their chest. If you take the time to listen to your child and get everything out in the open, they will feel a lot better at the end of it. They will be calmer, and a lot more open and happy with their feelings.
Alternatives To Punishment Conclusion
If you like these methods, you should check out our Happy Child Guide review. The Happy Child Guide is a whole book which breaks down how to reduce tantrums in your child, become a happier parent, and make everything more manageable. And guess what, all without using punishment! If you want to see more alternatives to punishment, I suggest you check it out.
