Discipline

Discipline Means to Teach


We want to teach our children how to make wise and safe decisions. We teach them now so they can make decisions in the future without us.

To teach/discipline children, parents need to make sure their own communications skills are clear.


  • Take a deep breath and calm down before correcting a child. Being upset, yelling, or using a loud voice tend to block a child’s listening skills.
  • Bend down (if necessary to the child’s eye level. Eye contact helps communication. Bending down is less threatening to a child and helps a child listen better.
  • Speak in short sentences. Long lectures and lots of words can cloud the issue you are concerned about. Children tune out (put you on “mute”) if you go on and on.
  • Tell the child what you want them to do, not just what you see wrong. Children don’t always know what you expect of them. For example, instead of saying “don’t run”, try “walk”. Focus on what you expect your children to do, and they will be better able to control their behavior.
  • Take a parenting class and learn how children think and many other ways to teach/discipline children effectively.