Gentle Discipline: Alternatives to Spanking in the First Few Years

To spank or not to spank? It seems everyone is caught up in the debate and has their own opinion. Non-spankers know that there are alternatives to spanking and that you can discipline your child without striking them. Even those who do spank their children often say they do it as a last resort. How is it that some people avoid spanking even as a last resort, while others do not? Do they simply have more disciplinary tools under their belt? Obviously, the more methods you have on your list, the farther down it spanking will be. The best way to eliminate spanking is not to convince people that it is wrong but to teach them how to avoid situations in which they may the other ways of handling behavioral problems. There are so many methods of gentle discipline that one should never reach the bottom of the list, whether spanking is on it or not.

You should never punish a baby. They do not understand that their behavior is inappropriate or wrong, and they cannot be made to. They may be made to associate a behavior with an action, such as throwing food with being slapped; however, they learn nothing from this about appropriateness or morality. Do not expect a baby to behave as you want when you want. There is no way to teach a baby right from wrong. Punishing a baby is very cruel. Slapping a baby just makes her think you are angry with her, and she will not understand why. It will only hurt her heart and sting her skin. Withholding affection because she isn't obeying is certainly not acceptable. A baby needs to feel secure in her relationship with her parents, and building that relationship is the most important thing in the first year of life. Don't damage your bond by trying to start disciplining your child too early.