Practice
Positive, Purposeful Discipline
Adrian H. Cline,
Superintendent
With all the stress, pressure, and emotion
that come with growing up, young people sometimes make errors in judgment, fail
to take responsibility, or do things they regret. When such situations occur, it is sometimes
necessary for you to discipline your child to prevent inappropriate behavior
from recurring. Let us look at some of
the principles behind the purpose of discipline:
§
You want your children to
know what is and is not acceptable in society.
§
You want them to remember
that in the future they will have to answer for their actions.
§
You want them to understand
the reason for discipline, but more importantly you want them to learn from the
lesson.
§
You want them to know that
you love them and only want the best for them.
To make discipline align with these
principles, use positive discipline.
This means involving your child in a task that not only lets him or her
know he or she has misbehaved, but also one that has long-term benefits for
both of you.
One way to do this is to have your child
start a personal journal. Request that he or she spend time alone writing. Provide a specific outline by asking your
child to include what the problem was, why it happened, and what could have
been done to deliver a different outcome.
Let your child know that you will review the writing.
Through this technique, your child may
learn anger management, responsibility, self-confidence, creativity, and
problem solving. You will derive the
benefit of seeing your child brush up on writing, spelling, and language
skills, and you will also gain insights into your child’s thinking so that you
can strengthen your relationship with him or her.
How to
Strengthen Your Child's Educational Well-Being
Many parents believe that education is
solely the responsibility of schools and teachers. What they often do not realize is that home
life has a significant effect on children’s schooling and educational
well-being. Try these steps and watch
what a difference your involvement can make in your child’s educational
welfare:
1. Show concern. Begin by talking to your child after
school. Ask questions about how the day
was. Were there any problems? What types of activities did he or she
participate in? It is important to let
your child know that his or her educational experience matters to you.
2. Monitor your child’s
schoolwork. Ask to see your child’s agenda. What type of homework does he or she
have? Is he or she having difficulty in
any subject? What activities are coming
up?
3. Maintain consistency. Maintaining a routine at home and at school
is vital to healthy development. Have set bed times.
Monitor television. Organize
activities that provide physical exercise.
Serve well-balanced, nutritional meals, and be consistent in discipline
and expectations.
The Office of Adrian H. Cline, Superintendent of Schools, is
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