The Difference Between Punishment and Discipline
Have we ever reached a point of misconception between punishment and discipline? From time to time, we have come to understand that some parents have relied heavily on punishment to instill discipline. For these parents, punishment was brought up as a consequence to ensure a well-behaved or certain level of discipline is being instilled.
Here is an explanation of punishment and discipline and why they may get confused.
What is punishment?
Punishment is commonly an act that makes the kids “pay” for his/her mistake. Sometimes this is done out of frustration of running out of options to get the message of “what you are doing is wrong” across to the kids. From the kid’s perspective, punishment is something that they are afraid of, and the thinking is that they will then listen more attentively or behave well as instructed by their parents. The punishment that come from parents may be very different from the punishment that comes from the schools, such as the school disciplinary systems designed to ensure smooth behavior in class.
Misconception with punishment
There is often a misconception about punishment, as punishment is not always bad. Likewise, punishment needn’t be a to-go option. Punishment has to be used appropriately with a clear message being brought across rather than just plain punishment. Harsh punishment can cause kids to develop underlying anger towards the person who inflicted pain rather than understanding the actual reason why they got into trouble. The generation has changed, people have changed so does kids too. Hence our method should change too. The old days of spanking using a cane or ruler is completely outdated and causes harm. Also, teachers do not need physical punishment ever, and are able to interact with the students while maintaining control in class to ensure kids are focusing and learning in class.
What is discipline?
Discipline teaches kids the right skills in how to behave — such as problem-solving and attitude mentality. It could also help kids to learn from their mistakes and teaching them the right way to deal with their emotions especially when they are angry or disappointed while they are in the public. Sometimes discipline is often paired with punishment where parents may take away certain privileges or some grounded alone time for the kids to think. Discipline is more often associated with authority. Schools have a different level of discipline and course of action depending on the severity of the cause. However, the right discipline is encouraged to be taught to ensure good social behavior and reaction towards their upbringing.
Benefits of discipline
Discipline is proactive, rather than reactive. It deters much unwanted behavior and thus ensures kids understand and know what is right and wrong and what they can or cannot do. Many times discipline can also include praise or reward systems, such as those used by schools and enrichment centers. Some of the best schools adopt a different approach with kids and rather than providing a stern straightforward approach of “you need to get this done” — -they often use a reward system or praise: “You are doing so great with your previous test.” or “Aim for a better score than your previous paper you will be awarded a present of ….” There are many approaches to provide great discipline and one of the many benefits to such discipline is that the kids can feel good about him/herself. Kids can feel confident in what was done right and will be able to replicate such behavior in the future.
Conclusion
So which method is more effective? Punishment or straight-up discipline? Some people use a mixture of both, however, the old way of spanking causes more harm than good. Spanking kids doesn’t teach your kids how to behave and causes physical pain. It is harmful. Kids should be taught problem-solving skills, managing their emotions, and compromising. When parents teach these skills it can reduce unwanted behavior exponentially. Discipline is the aim to teach your kids to be better behaved and not just punishing. Find the roots and the sources of such behaviour and correct them by teaching, guiding and lots of patience too. It’s not too late to change and learn to be a better parent to provide the best learning journey possible for our young ones.
