Got a kid? Love him or her? Of course you do. So when he or she misbehaves on a consistent basis, what’s the best way to administer discipline?
Well, as you may be aware, there is a wide range of thought on this subject. One school of thought teaches essentially hand’s off, and says, the little darlings are very intelligent, so let them figure it all out on their own. No punishment or reward systems. Still another extreme says that the Singapore model of “caning” people for littering is a good one.
Most of us find ourselves in between these two nutty positions…and the word “nutty” is being charitable. If you don’t think so, then stop reading. You’re a lost cause and should find yourself a nice rubber room somewhere so that you don’t hurt yourself or anyone else.
The fact is that anyone who actually watches children behave – without preset mental filters – will almost certainly come to the conclusion that different children respond differently. Some kids have a very high “pain” threshold. They can take whatever penalties you exact as they stubbornly refuse to do what they...