How to Discipline Your Child

When a few parents gather to talk about their children, one of the most frequently discussed topic is to compare the best tuition center available. This is not surprising as with the raise in education standard and high competitiveness in today studies, many parents are willing to spending more time and money on their children’s education. This can be understandable as all parents want their children to excel in their academic performance.

As technology becomes so advanced, the childhood experienced 10 to 15 years ago as compared to now is completely different. Those once familiar childhood games such as Pepsi Cola, five stones, hop scotch, zero point, police and thief, throwing marbles now seems so foreign to children nowadays. Nowadays, their childhood is probably filled with PSP, PS3, XBOX and other computer gaming. Their only favorite physical activities perhaps are fingers, eyes and mouth exercises (computer gaming and eating snacks while watching television). While in certain context, gaming does have its own benefits in training of the human reflex and reaction; children should not be spending too much of their time on computer gaming.

This is particularly worrying as children would have lost the opportunity to develop their fundamental and locomotive skills such as running, leaping, hopping, catching, throwing etc……which will hinder their physical literacy during their growth and developmental phase. Without these fundamental and locomotive skills, they would find difficulty when they engage in other sport games such as baseball or basketball and will feel inferior when their classmates are able to strike and dribble properly while they can’t. This might have a long term effect where the poor child lost interest in that particular sport when they grew up.

Both fundamental and locomotive skills do not develop automatically, it need to be given the opportunity and time to practice. Taking running for instance, children often like to run around more than walking when they were young, as compared to more specific locomotive skills such as striking, balancing, throwing, receiving which needs to be given time and opportunity to practice and develop.

With the lack of children physical activities, there has seen an increasing trend in child obesity over the past few years and the government had also expressed their concern by implementing more awareness to the schools and public on educating how to manage obesity, especially in young children. One such campaign is the – 2nd SHF-NIE National Seminar 2007 “Managing Obesity in Schools” (http://www.myheart.org.sg/nie_seminar/) jointly organized by MOE and the Singapore Heart Foundation.

The “Managing Obesity in Schools” series of annual seminars are organized so as to raise community awareness of obesity related health and educational issues in schools among teachers, parents and the public at large

Parents are strongly encouraged to allow children to spend more time on physical activities and playing, other than studies so as to prevent many of the long term health issues which is linked to obesity. Along with increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and other medical disorders, obese people can develop potential musculoskeletal problems which are caused by their increased in body weight. We all know that excess weight will adds additional stress on the major weight-bearing joints, such as the hips, knees, spine and ankles. Over prolong period, this can lead to soft tissue injuries, arthritis, and other painful joint disorders, which can be prevented.

Sports and exercise provides a very good platform for the children to explore their physical potential and capabilities which also helps to greatly enforce their self esteem, confidence and discipline. Team sports such as basketball, soccer, hockey allows children to learn valuable qualities such as team building which cannot be obtained from reading textbooks alone. Close skilled sports such as Wushu, Taichi, Gymnastic, Archery allows children to learn focusing and concentration technique. Of course, there are still many other benefits and qualities which can be obtained from Sports that is not listed.

Looking at more specifically, taking for instance, children who practice Wushu or Taichi tend to have better concentration and focus during study and also are more discipline, due to the nature of the sports and training environment. The slow and calming movements in Taichi, enables children to explore their more innate self and be aware and thus able to handle their own stress and anxiety level much better compared to those who did not exercise at all. It also provides them with an opportunity to slow down their pace of movement occasionally to train on their concentration & focus. Besides that, it also helps to ensure proper posture alignment which is especially important during their growing up stage.

Like all parents, being a coach and physical educator, we hope to provide the best environment to nurture our next generation with a holistic physical and mental environment. As if the above is not convincing why children should engage more in different form of physical and sporting activities, below is a list of why exercise is good for children.

1. Children who exercise and engage in sporting activities regularly are more likely to continue exercising even as an adult.

2. Exercise helps children achieve and maintain a healthy body weight.

3. Regular physical activity helps build and maintain strong, healthy muscles, bones and joints.

4. Exercise aids in the development of important interpersonal skills such as team building – this is especially true for participation in team sports.

5. Exercise helps improves the quantity and quality of sleep.

6. Research had shown that exercise promotes improved school attendance and also enhances academic performance.

7. Children who exercise regularly tends to have greater self-esteem, confidence and better self-images.

8. Participating in regular physical activity prevents or delays the development of many chronic diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension) and promotes health.

9. Children who are active report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression better mental control.

10. Exercise helps improve motor coordination and enhances the development of various motor performance skills.

On this very special Children Day, besides the usual gifts of sweets and chocolate bars which the kids definitely love to have, perhaps we could offer them even more, to spend more time and play with them, which will not only increase their physical activities level as well as promote stronger bonding relationships between the children and you.

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Childhood years are the best times to learn. Somehow, a person’s comprehension is at its peak during childhood. Parents should take advantage of these learning years to ingrain the values of life in their children.

If you’re a parent, teach them positive habits so that they will know and see the beauty that life has to offer. Make them enthusiastic about life. Instill into their hearts and minds all the wonders and magnificence of being alive by living life to its fullest in a positive way.

There’s a startling difference between children learning through self-discovery, and children learning through self-discovery with proper guidance. The first things that children learn are usually the things that stay with them and mold formative years until they reach adulthood.

Let us suppose you let your children learn through self-discovery. To a certain extent, self-discovery is good since it develops full independence and self-reliance. However, the learning process might be slow. In a sense, it is like a trial and error experience for children. They have to segregate the good from the bad, the right from the wrong, what they like and what they don’t. It is most likely that what they will like are the ones that come easy to them or the ones that they enjoy the most. And the ones that they enjoy the most might not necessarily be the good ones. Without proper guidance, what they like and enjoy the most might actually be hurting them although they are not aware of it. Perhaps later, if they find out that they picked the wrong choices, it may be too late.

With self-discovery through proper guidance, you will be able to leave room for them to develop independence and self-reliance. At the same time, show them what is right and what is wrong. Explain to them why. If possible, cite instances or examples based on true-to-life events to make them more convincing and realistic. The more realistic they are, the more easily the children are convinced. Likewise, try teaching them in a friendly and humorous atmosphere. Children are more attentive and eager to learn when all (both teachers and students) are in an easy mood. You will know and feel their eagerness to learn through the sparkle in their eyes and by the way they answer your questions. You can be sure that what they learn from you is acceptable to them and will stay with them. That is why, as a parent, you must show enthusiasm in life to your children.

There’s a third method of making children learn. That is through proper guidance leaving negligible room for self-discovery. But there are drawbacks. You take away from them the benefits of self-reliance and independence. The guidance you devote to them may be good and well intended, but they must not rely on you on almost everything they do. They become decision-dependent on you. There are instances wherein this type of guidance might be worse than giving no guidance at all.

There are parents who underwent hardships during their childhood, strived, and became successful financially. Although they are financially in the position to guide and assist their children to a better life, they prefer that their children undergo the same difficult experience they underwent during their younger years. Their reason: so that their children will value and experience the same things they went through. This may be applicable to stubborn and rebellious youngsters, but not to disciplined ones. Why must their sons and daughters repeat the same difficulties? There’s no reason to. This is like punishing the innocent. Instead of repeating the experience, they should learn from it. Life is too short to repeat unsavory experiences.

One of the best ways to broaden your children’s knowledge about life is by traveling. The world – its varied people, places, and cultures – has a lot of information to offer. It is perhaps as important as the conventional classroom. If you are financially able, traveling is one of the best educational experiences you can give your children. Look for exhibits or world fairs, and take your children there. Books are the next best things. It’s traveling by reading.

Fill your children with thoughts of self-importance, confidence, and positive attitude so that there will be no room for negative thinking. More importantly, fill their world with laughter, love, and understanding. You‘ll never go wrong.

Article Source : Simple and General Blog

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The time out method can be applied to impose discipline on children, including the very young ones, say aged 1 and a half to 2 years old. The method works, with the parents not showing anger or irritation towards the misbehaving child, by leaving him quietly in one place, alone.

The time out method requires you to designate an appropriate place in your house where your child can be left in isolation and away from interactions with the other members of the household. It may be a space on your kitchen floor, a chair customized for time outs, or a bedroom corner. This must be a permanent spot in the house.

How long should a time out be? The norm is one minute corresponding to every year of the child’s age. This means, for example, two minutes for a two-year-old child. You may use a timer to mete your child’s punishment time. For toddlers, time outs will allow them to calm down and regroup, so to speak. But it may be hard for them to remain still during the whole time-out duration, parents may therefore not force them to fully serve their time.

The process begins by telling your child in a nice but firm tone of your voice what you want him to do, say to finish carrying out a task or to cease from misbehaving. If your words created no effect and your child’s disputed behavior persists, you will need to talk him out of it a second time, this time sending your message in a more serious context, eye contact locked between the two of you, and the grim prospect of the time out area suggested. If your child continues to ignore your advice, this will be the right time for you to escort him to the time out area with clear explanations of why he deserves the punishment. Be calm and patient all throughout this drama-laden episode of your lives. Maintain your firm but calm voice.

Talk to your child once more in a re-assuring voice after he has served quietly his time. Be clear in explaining to him why he got sent to the time out spot. Firmly caution him that any future infraction will mean another trip to the time out area. When advising a relatively older child, get him to commit to agree on what is it that you exactly want him to do or what mischief you want to keep him from. If your child leaves the time out spot before completing the allocated time, be firm in meting out to him the corresponding penalties.

Refine the processes of the time out method according to your experiences, the temperament and psycho-social make up of your child, and your own way of parenting. But through all of this, never forget to apply doses of positive reinforcement. Arm yourself with hugs, smiles and praises and be ready to use them whenever appropriate. Also, use the time out method wherever the need for it may arise. If your child misbehaves in parks, churches or grocery stores, by all means take him to a makeshift time out spot. The point is consistency. This way your child will not get your messages mixed up.

Physical punishment is not a very effective manner of disciplining your child. Years of research has brought forth evidence that has linked physical punishment in one’s childhood to negative developmental characteristics in people such as increased aggression, tolerance towards violence, physical injury, antisocial behavior, and being unable to adjust as an adult. Moreover, it has been proven that physical punishment serves as a big obstacle in the development and safety of children. It is far too easy for physical punishment to slowly turn into physical abuse leading to devastating physical and mental injury that can even result in death. Every year, hundreds of children die due to physical abuse. All children have the birth right to be protected against physical abuse and every state has stringent laws about the consequences of being found guilt of harming or abusing a child.

There are many parents who prefer not use any form of physical punishment to enforce discipline. A child who has grown up in an environment marred by physical abuse will grow up to be an abuser himself or have drastic social, physical, cognitive and emotional delays in his development. A parents approach towards disciplining his or her child reflects strongly in the child’s dealings with problems in every day life. Therefore it becomes vital for parents to model an environment where there is positive disciplining with established limits and expectations. All children should, by right, live in an environment that is nurturing, secure and safe where their dignity can be respected. Whenever a child fails to follow a particular rule, parents should enforce logical and fair consequences. One should never forget that no child is a miniature adult and it is wrong to expect adult-like behavior from children. Therefore even punishments should suit the age and maturity of a child.

All adults who recognize themselves as displaying symptoms of physically abusing children should seek professional help immediately.

Self-Discipline For Children

By Dugan Hoffmann, Hoffmann Karate

What is self-discipline?  Self-discipline is defined as the ability to make yourself to do what you know you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like or not!  Disciplined people know what has to be done and they do it.  They don’t put it off until later or allow themselves to be easily taken off track.  And, most importantly, they prioritize and focus on being self-disciplined with activities that move them toward their goals.  There’s a big difference between having self-discipline with tasks that move you toward your goals and tasks that do not move you towards your goals at all.  It’s usually the more challenging activities and tasks that will help you reach your goals than those of less importance.  This concept is easily confused so be careful which self-discipline activities you use to work towards your goals. 

When teaching children self-discipline it is important to have fun and to keep in mind that the idea is to establish routines that are followed for the entire week without deviation or       distraction.  We want our children to pick up after themselves, to clean their rooms without being told, to do their homework on their own, and to be responsible for their extra       curricular programs.  We demand a lot from our children!  Let’s explore how we can get our children to be more disciplined.

First explain to your child that there are two kinds of discipline, parent-discipline and self-discipline.  Parent-discipline is when parents are constantly telling the children what they need to do.  Self-discipline is when the children are taking care of certain things without  reminders from their parents!  Understanding these two concepts  can point your child in the right direction! 

Next, list all of your child’s responsibilities, including; school, home, extra curricular, and leisure.  Place these responsibilities in order of importance and have a discussion about     priorities. In other words, make sure they know that homework and studying are more     important than chores and should be done first.  Remember that the self-disciplined person does more important goal-oriented activities first.

When your child understands what’s important by the goals that were set, it will be easy to establish a comfortable routine for everyone to follow.  Your routine should include all the activities on your list. The more regimented your child becomes and the more time planned for every responsibility in order of importance, the more disciplined your child will be.  Just remember to stick to a fun routine so it becomes habit and your child wants (key word) to be self-disciplined.

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