The Art and Science of Discipline

The issue of discipline will start bugging parents when a child learns that he is free to do what his will wants. When God created us in our mother's womb, we were supposed to be born with a new clean slate, but somehow that clean slate includes a capacity for rebellion, a natural inclination towards dangerous objects, and a strong instinct to create havoc. I don't ever remember my mother giving me proper guidance on the most convincing way to tell lies, i figured that one out all by myself and boy was i goood.

A lot of parents have an idea of what they want their child to be like. Well-mannered, intelligent, friendly, cheerful, not fussy, not picky, not irritating etc etc. Well it's good to have a goal, but how do i get there? So i have embarked on the a mission to find the best way to discipline Mountain boy. I do what i do best, ask, consult, read, attend courses maybe.

Before you think that i have cracked the code of discipline, think the opposite. I'm confused. To spank or not to spank, to let him cry or to soothe him, frankly my guess is as good as plucking flower petals to decide.

I've been reading The Happiest Toddler on the Block (by Harvey Karp) and he likens kids to little cavemen, i can't help but agree with him. Mountain Boy would fare way better if he lives in a cave, away from electric sockets, cars on the road, toxic cleaning agents and he would very much prefer to run wild barefooted than put on his funky nike sandals which cost me a bomb!

So this brings me to the first insight i learnt while chatting with my cousin who is a fellow parent (AAA's brother actually). He said not to underestimate the role of the father as a disciplinarian, especially for boys. GENERALLY speaking, when boys grow up they will think their mothers are nags (if you are male and you are reading this, daresay u disagree). But boys are GENERALLY more receptive if the advice comes from a male authority.

Of course you may think that not every child is the same, mine is unique bla bla bla. But Karl Marx will tell you differently. If we've all been through similar education systems, more or less been exposed to the same media, spent our lives in more or less similar progressions, we're just products from the same factory line and we really are more alike than you think!