One of the issues I find to be a little controversial is childrearing/discipline. This topic can be seen in so many different ways and ones views are based on things such as upbringing, parenting and education. There are many of us that were raised with corporal punishment as a norm. Those of us who were submitted to harsh discipline either believe in it, (spare the rod, spoil the child syndrome) or feel the opposite and would never subject our children to a harsh punishment. Once one starts parenting, sometimes they may have a change in their mindset one way or the other. Then there are those of us in the education field who want to believe and practice what we preach under the idea of what is best for the child.
Hitting children unable to defend themselves teaches them it
is okay for bigger people to hit on them and does little for their self-esteem.
Last week while speaking with a group of early childhood
teachers we discussed appropriate discipline in the classroom as opposed to
guidance. There was a lot of discussion
about being appropriate with the children, not threatening them and using
logical consequences. It can be a very
hard job for teachers who don’t fully believe that respecting the children and
talking with them will work when it comes to guiding them to the right
choices. Not only is it hard to apply,
they must also encourage it with their grandparent volunteers to practice while
interacting with the children. Also,
they must educate their parents and actively let them know they are mandated
reporters and there can be better ways of handling situations than harsh discipline.
So, I wonder which type of adult disciplinarian you are. Do you believe in punishment, logical
consequences, discipline or spankings?
Do you totally think harsh discipline is the worse act to guide a
child? Does your thinking flip-flop
depending on who you are dealing with? Some
educators may know all the right things to say, do and teach in an educational
setting but do not practice what they preach at home.
I know my work is not over with the center I am working with
but I now know they are having second thoughts when it comes to classroom
discipline.
Tracylnn,
ReplyDeleteI think you have picked a very good topic. I like to think that I am more of a disciplinarian. I try to teach my children (my own and the ones I work with)and to guide them. With my own children I believe that they need to learn that everyone's actions have consequences. This is not to say I am perfect by any means and haven't yelled or had to walk away. I don't believe in spanking, I don't believe children learn anything but violence from being hit. I was never hit as a child so this may be why I am so adamant about not hitting. I believe children deserve respect just as much as adults and when we teach children respect we teach them how to treat others.
Hi Toni, many of the teachers that I observe consider themselves disciplinarians and that is important for guiding children to good behavior. Unfortunately, I think it sometimes clashes with the discipline style experienced at home and then children can become confused. It is so important to earn the trust of our parents so they trust us enough to educate them a little bit about best practices.
DeleteHello Tracy,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a very interesting and controversial topic. I think that most parents go with what they know, which is sometimes a good thing and sometimes not.
In terms of parenting, my husband and I try to use Positive Discipline, but I'm still always questioning myself and wondering if I'm doing what is best for my kids. I have found that natural consequences have been the most effective.
-Jessica C.
Jessica, natural consequences is what I try to teach to the teachers I work with. It takes them awhile to realize that they don't need to threaten children to get them to make the right or better choices.
DeleteThe techniques of childrearing have definitely changed over time. Discipline in today's society, especially in the educational world, is something that has been criticized greatly. Many believe that teachers or administrators should not be allowed to use corporal punishment on their students. I believe that every child needs to have a different form of discipline because they respond differently to levels and forms of punishment. Do you believe in corporal punishment or do you feel it results in negative emotional development in children?
ReplyDeleteJessica I think that corporal punishment can become very negative especially if parents lose control. Each child is definitely different but they also respond to different people differently. You will notice that the same child may respond differently to their teacher as opposed to one or both of their parents. I know my own children would sometimes rather deal with me than daddy because there will generally be totally different outcomes.
Delete