Use of Punishment As a Technique in Disciplining a Child

Babies and Toddlers

• Punishment should be age-appropriate for young children, who usually get into trouble out of a natural curiosity to explore the world. One of the most effective punishments for young children, according to a 2004 article in the journal "Paediatrics & Child Health," is a time-out. For kids ages 2 to 5, time-out should last one minute per year of the child's age. Time-out zones should be quiet spaces that are used only for punishment -- a step on your stairway, instead of the child's bed or reading corner. Don't talk to your child during a time-out or allow them to do anything for entertainment, and when it's over, approach your child with a fresh start -- don't make them dwell on what they did wrong.

Older Children

• WebMD recommends allowing your older child to help determine a proper punishment. If the child understands what you're both trying to accomplish, he will be more likely to behave properly next time. Effective punishments include removing privileges such as TV, music or computers; or grounding or requiring a child to stay home for a social event. As kids get older, allowing natural consequences to fall into place can be a good teaching opportunity, according to KidsHealth. For example, if a child is irresponsible and breaks his first cell phone, parents don't have to punish him -- the punishment is the loss of the phone.

Tips for Successful Punishment

• Punishment is worthless without a foundation of love and trust between you and your child. If a child doesn't feel a bond with you, punishment will only make her feel berated and ashamed. However, if your child loves you and wants to please you, your punishment will serve as motivation for her to avoid misbehaving in the future. You must also be consistent with your discipline to foster the trust of a child of any age, according to the "Paediatrics & Child Health" article. If you've established a rule -- for example, your child will have TV taken away if she doesn't finish her homework -- you must follow-through with your punishment if she misbehaves. Additionally, other parents and caregivers must be consistent with you, too.

Punishment Types to Avoid

• Although it used to be common practice to spank, KidsHealth reports that you shouldn't use physical punishment on a child of any age. Very young children cannot make the connection between the spank and what they did wrong, and all they feel is pain and disconnection from you. Older children who have been spanked can become aggressive, themselves, and may become desensitized to pain -- often causing parents to spank harder and become abusive, according to KidsHealth. Also, spanking tends to lose its effectiveness over time, which might make a child more disobedient. It's also important not to verbally abuse your child. While calling attention to a bad behavior is fine, making character attacks on your child is not.