Summary:
Punishment and discipline differ in a couple of ways. First of all punishment is something parents impose on children rather than discipline which is something that is usually known by the child. A disciplined child will not do something bad because they know it is wrong because their parents have set a good example. Punishment allows the discharge of parental anger, while discipline takes more thought to carry out and in turn can be much more effective.
Punishment Versus Discipline
When it comes to raising children there are two different ways to deal with problems. You can punish your child when they do something wrong, and this can involve verbal or physical punishment. Discipline is something that parents can instill in their children by letting them know they are disappointed or removing themselves away from the child. Discipline often has a more lasting effect on a child because they know if they do something wrong that their parents will be disappointed, which is much harder than physical pain to deal with. We must remember that hurt feelings can be much more long lasting than physical pain.
Now that I have read the article on punishment versus discipline my opinion has changed on the subject. I always believed that physical punishment was the worst way to deal with a child's problematic behavior due to the fact that it teaches the child that if someone does something wrong, the way to solve the problem is to physically hurt them. I believe that kids should be punished in ways that require a little more thought than a slap to the behind. I never really thought of discipline as the way the article describes it in the sense that it is something that the child has instilled in them. I now understand discipline more clearly and realize the impact it can have on kids.
When it comes to using punishment, there are many side effects. Punishment teaches foremost the desirability of not getting caught. The more hurtful the punishment, the more devious the child will become. Usually kids are only sorry because they have been caught and may be punished rather then being sorry for the thing they did. Punishment teaches a child that those who have power can force others to do their will. When a child is old enough they will often try and use such force themselves to punish others. Any punishment sets us against the person who inflicts it on us. Punishment can also lead to repression.
Punishment and discipline differ in a couple of ways. First of all punishment is something parents impose on children rather than discipline which is something that is usually known by the child. A disciplined child will not do something bad because they know it is wrong because their parents have set a good example. While on the other hand a child who is usually punished for doing something bad, will not do it because they don't want to be punished. Punishment allows the discharge of parental anger, while discipline takes more thought to carry out and in turn can be much more effective.
When using discipline on your children there are obstacles that will come along the way. First of all if parents themselves are not disciplined, then it will be harder for the child to have a disciplined role model to look up to. Another difficulty is that parents try to teach self-discipline to their children in ways that arouse their resistance rather then their interest. Disciple requires a lot of patience and often takes a while to figure out what works for different children.
A good relationship between the parent and child is very important. Though there are obstacles when disciplining your children it is logical to do so because the relationship will be much better in the future. Parents much teach by example because kids will be much more influenced by what a parent does rather than what a parent says.
Guilt plays a big role in discipline. If a child is really disciplined then they will not do what they know is wrong because they know the guilt that they will have to face. It is much harder to have to deal with a guilty conscience after you have done something wrong rather than dealing with physical or verbal punishment. Guilt is what keeps a disciplined person from doing the wrong things.
I believe that the fundamental issue in this article is discipline. It is very important for people to understand how much discipline can benefit a child. Punishment will only go so far, but a disciplined person will do things based on morals and not because they are scared of getting caught. To be disciplined takes self-control and having this self-control will keep kids out of trouble.
I agreed with this article for the most part. I felt that it had many good points about discipline. I definitely agree with the fact that children are greatly influenced by their parents and how they handle situations. I feel that parents should not punish a child more than the law would. Sometimes after a child has done something wrong they need time to think things over and a huge punishment can make it unbearable. I know from personal experience that when huge punishments are set upon you it feels like things are so bad that they couldn't get any worse, so you just keep doing what ever you're not supposed to. Parents need to know when to draw the line with punishment, and make sure it fits the crime. I just hope that I remember all this information when I'm a parent so I can raise a good, disciplined child.
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