While the parenting community may be divided on the age-old question of whether or not smacking or spanking is an effective way to discipline your child, Eva Mendes has her mindset on absolutely not. Recently over social media, she shared a quote that said the words, “Spanking does for a child’s development what hitting a spouse does for a marriage.” Many of her fans chimed in, disagreeing with what she was saying about her opinion on the right parenting method. While it is a question that every parent asks themselves, we did some research to find out what an actual doctor thinks about this. Keep reading for more on the best way to discipline your child is!
What’s the Best Way to Discipline Children?
According to Bounty Parents and the doctor that they consulted, time out is not your only option. There are positive discipline strategies for every child. Their source actually argues that punishment doesn’t always teach your child how to behave, that in fact, this is a fear-based approach to discipline and parenting. Children will always push boundaries. Most parents often believe that yelling, hitting, smacking, or putting their children in a corner will teach them a lesson, when in fact, it is quite the opposite.
This can actually make children avoid being honest with their parents and make them even sneakier than they already are. This type of punishment actually begins to damage the relationship that you have with them. If you smack or shout, this can really upset your child. They can become emotional, resentful, and start to not trust you. If you want to set limits with your child, you must do more than just more than telling them what to do. Punishment and reward based on their obedience are not really the answer here.
The key is communication. You need to set up channels for your relationship to prosper. When you ask your child why their behavior is not okay, this opens those lines up for you to discuss and have a real moment of learning. It is also a very effective method or way of discipline, without any voices in the room being raised. Here, you begin to build a relationship with your child where they are honest with you and trust you with everything. This is the real way to a child’s heart. Fear is not the way to handle it.
