| Palmer here. Just about every kid needs discipline, but some kids NEED discipline. I was in the NEED boat as I was a kid who saw it as a challenge to break just about every rule. |
| We use the word discipline vs punishment – here’s why. 👇Discipline is not another word for punishment. Disciplining your kiddo means teaching them responsible behavior and self-control.The Latin origin of the word discipline is “to teach.” The ultimate aim is to encourage your kid to learn to manage both their feelings and behavior. |
| This meant my mom spent a lot of time in territory that was a bit foreign to her, figuring out how to respond to a kid who was wired completely differently than she had been as a kid. She was more of a “typical” kid who got some discipline but nothing that came close to being in the “Misbehavior Hall of Fame.” That spot in the museum was all mine. 😅 She had to figure out how on Earth she was going to discipline (AKA “teach”) me to keep from falling off a cliff (literally and figuratively) while not destroying my spirit, and also setting up a foundation that allowed for the two of us to have a close and meaningful relationship. She worked to create a system that was not only meant to course correct my actions, but she also used those opportunities of my misbehaving to help me grow beyond what I was originally capable of. She used discipline as a way to bring new ideas, paths, or conversations into my life. Here are two short examples of how she did this. While I strongly disliked these as a kid, I now find myself teaching my teen client’s parents some of these tricks because they are effective and impactful: After catching me sneaking alcohol, my mom had me interview a therapist, a doctor, and a law enforcement officer about the dangers of underage drinking. I then had to write what I learned in a short paper.When I was in elementary school, I was caught lying and she had me write and illustrate a book about how lying could negatively impact my life and others. |
