Day 5 Practice of discipline-Implementation of rules
After the rules are set, they must be carried out. Many parents forget what the rules are. It is crucial for parents first to clarify the rules during family time. Then, parents must be the pattern who carry out the rules. When children follow the rules, parents must affirm and encourage their behavior.
Rules must be internalized as a habit which will become the personality of their children. It takes a long time to form a good habit in a child. Since a child is born, rules must be set and carried out everyday with appropriate rules in every stage of their life—from one to two years old, three to six years old, elementary schools, middle schools etc.
The following are a few ways to discipline children when they violate the rules.
- First, redirection. When seeing a child snatching another child’s toy, the adult should tell the child who snatched the toy, “Anne got that toy first. You can play this puzzle first.” Redirection is very useful for little children.
- Second, ignore the attention. When an adult notices that the child is trying to get your attention with an inappropriate behavior this cooling approach will work.
- Third, time-out. Time-out will help your child calm down first and examine their behavior. After time-out, parents need to communicate with the child—why he or she had time-out and pray with him or her. If he or she made mistakes, the child also needs to learn to say sorry.
- Fourth, let the child lose the right to play something they love so that the child will know the consequences of violating the rules.
- Fifth, Let the children choose one from a range of choices of punishment given by parents. Giving choices can also cultivate the child’s decision-making ability and autonomy of consciousness.
- Sixth, change the environment. Give the child a proper environment, a safe environment, and prepare something interesting for him to play.
- Seventh, parents must change themselves. Adults also need to learn to listen carefully to what the children are feeling and think from their position. In addition, the parents also need to adjust the way they speak to children and the way they communicate with the children.
- Eighth, parents need to shepherd and discipline children one-on-one and fellowship with them and intercede for them.
- Ninth, parents should have more thorough prayers, looking for God’s mercy. It’s not promised that if we follow this series of courses, we will definitely be able to raise good children. We must look to God for His mercy. Surely we must do our portion——do whatever we should do, learn to shepherd and discipline according to God as much as possible, at the same time entrust our children to the Lord and look to God for mercy. The future of this child is in the hands of God. Thank God! We look up to God’s mercy and blessings.
