The Effects of Over-Disciplining on Children
Discipline is a natural and unpleasant part of parenthood. When done right, a child feels the love and concern from her parent. Over-discipline comes into play when words or physical actions cause real harm to a child. The damage that over-discipline causes is profound. Its effects may not be immediately seen, but materialize over time. The child's psyche is re-shaped and changed forever.
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Low Self-Esteem
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His self-esteem may take a hit. Children are shaped and greatly affected by their parents' words. Kind and encouraging words build confidence and self-esteem. Loving actions from a parent make a child feel safe. While a child does not fully understand over-discipline, he does feel a lack of love and care from his parent. He loses his self-worth and out with it goes his self-esteem. He may appear withdrawn, shy or distant and these traits could follow him into adulthood.
Aggression
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She may begin to take out her aggression on other people. Aggression breeds aggression. Over-discipline often overflows to the point of aggressive behavior from the parent. A light spank turns into a punch. The child, in turn, mimics the behavior--taking out her frustration on her siblings, friends or parents. It is essential for parents to model appropriate reactions and desired behaviors.
Rebellion
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He may begin to rebel as time goes on. Most children exhibit signs of rebellion at one time or another. Testing boundaries is a healthy stage of childhood. When parents subject a child to overly harsh discipline, they do so to obtain their own desired result. Although the child may comply, he will begin to be resentful. Signs of rebellion creep in and materialize both in and outside of the home. He may start to exhibit disrespectful behavior, which morphs into more problematic issues down the line.
Emotional Pain
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His tears show his emotional anguish. Every child feels the need to be loved. They crave attention and affection from their parents and seek their approval regularly. Over disciplining causes genuine emotional turmoil to a child. Not only does he show outward signs, such as through his tears--he may also exhibit inner signs of emotional pain, such as anxiety.
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Q I am the proud mother of two wonderful children whom I love a lot. However, lately they have been breaking many family rules. What should I do when they come in past curfew or talk back? I want to be known as the strictest mother around, but I also
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There are advantages of the use of punishment to shape behavior. Punishment can be thought of as a consequence that occurs after an operant response, which reduces the tendency of that response from happening in the future. An operant response is def
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It can be hard to know which consequences and discipline strategies will work best for your child. Every child is different and discipline techniques that work for one child might not work for another. Although it can take a bit of trial and e
