How old does your child need to be before discipline starts? And how harsh does the discipline need to be? It depends on a lot of factors.
I started mine young, as soon as they knew right from wrong. Don’t look at me with incomprehension - they know when they are doing wrong from quite a young age, I assure you!
My littlest is the worst. He is fifteen months old, and he knows what ‘no touch!’ means. This does not deter him from sneakily getting into things the minute my back is turned.
“He’s just a baby” you might protest. Come on. If he is unaware that he is not supposed to stick the penny (which he is not supposed to have) into the wall socket (which he is not supposed to touch) then why does he jump a foot in the air when he sees me and crawl over to stick his head under the playpen in the hope that I do not see him?
Excuse me. He knows!!! I am one of those people who prefaces my introduction to parents at playdates with “Hey, just to warn you, if he dashes out in the street, tries to stick his finger in the other kid’s eye or bites, I am gonna smack him on the butt.”
This usually gets either a high five or a shocked glare followed by a hasty goodbye, depending on the political leanings of the parent.
Hey. Better a smack on the diaper padded tushie to ensure the lesson is learned than a flattened fifteen month old in the middle of the road (or a lawsuit from an angry parent!)
I don’t whale on my kids. I don’t keep a ping pong paddle handy, or a leather strop in the barn. But if they are going to injure themselves, I would rather sting their bottom than end up in the ER because they pulled a pot of boiling water off of the stove.
So sue me. Turn me in. I love my kids, and want them to survive childhood! You can tell when they are ready for discipline. It’s when they run and hide when they hear you coming!
Hooray, another person who actually believes in disciplining children! The problem with the qworld and our youth is parents who don’t lay down the law. Good for you, and thanks for the post!