Being a parent is not easy, every day is full of new and weird things. Sometimes, parenting is a real struggle, especially for first-time parents. Plus, all the suggestions and recommendations you will hear around you. Do this, do that, don’t do this, don’t do that- and a lot more. Discipline your baby, and you will hear a lot of hearsays. So, the big question is- when is the right time to do it? In this article, we will tackle a bit more about discipline.
Tips to Discipline Your Baby
Start Young
How early should you discipline your baby? As early as possible, depending on how your baby comprehend. For some, as early as six months can do or as long as the baby can understand. Disciplining your child doesn’t mean you are less love him/her. It is actually, a result of your love to your child. When a child is lack of discipline, it means he/she was spoiled. When this happens, the child will have a hard time to cope up with the society. It is hard for him/her to get rejected. So the child will end up getting frustrated. Spoil your child, and he/she will have a hard time dealing with other people, as well as knowing the difference between right and wrong.
Say It In a Calmly But Firm Manner
“No”, it is usually the first disciplinary word a parent will say to a baby. Will the baby be able to understand it? Yes, simply say it calmly but make sure to be firm. In this way, your baby will follow you and be able to determine the difference between play and parenting. Make sure to imposed the discipline yourself. Talk to your partner about it, both of you should agree. If the in-laws or your parent will come their way, let them understand where your ground is. Don’t lose your mom’s sanity when it comes to discipline.
Create An Authoritative Figure
Your baby should know that you are his/her parent(s). So create a parenting attitude. One thing that parents failed when it comes to discipline is creating an authoritative figure. Why? It is because of moral values, how can you teach if you are not practicing. For example, on later life, a father is commanding his son to stop smoking, but ironically, he is smoking. See, how can the son follow his father’s command if he is not authoritative to do so? Fear should not be the drive for the child to follow, but respect.
Reward And Praise
When a baby is doing good, be ready to give compliments. Reward or praise will encourage the baby to do nice things. On the other hand, corporal punishment is still on the debate. To hit your child with a rod on their bottom is up to you. Just remember that discipline is very important.
Raising kids is a challenging part of parenthood. You will either make it or break it. When it comes to discipline, parents should stand for their kids. What important is, when one is disciplining, the other one will explain whyit was done after it is done. In doing so, your child will not keep bad feelings for you and understand why it is necesary.
