Session 5

Unit Five: Discipline vs. Punishment

Review:

You have looked at many strategies for positive discipline.

Think of the strategies as tools in your toolbox. You will need different tools depending on the issue or problem and the individual child or adolescent involved. What may work one day, may not the next.

 

A couple of final thoughts before we move on to Self-Esteem:

• If one parental figure is the primary disciplinarian and finds himself or herself constantly engaged in power struggles with little response, try switching roles and let the other parental figure intervene.
  
  
• Children also have a tendency to “Play one parent off another” which is a normal part of development. However, when it becomes a pattern of behavior in which one parent is consistently labeled as “good” and the other as “bad,” it becomes a more serious problem. Such behavior can keep a family in turmoil and undermine the relationship between the parental figures.
  
  
• The key to minimizing this is good communication, mutual respect and trust between the parents. Presenting a united front to the child and not blaming each other when problems arise is very important.
  
  
• Using the technique of switching disciplinary roles and not being so predictable can also be extremely effective.