Disciplining your child is one of the hardest parts of being a parent. Of course you want to correct negative behaviors in the most productive way possible, but sometimes the words “military school” can sound pretty tempting. How can you be sure the way you discipline your child will produce a happy and healthy adult?
There's no point trying to discipline your kids before toddlerhood, because they're just too young to understand. Of course, this doesn't mean that you let them get away with anything - ignore as much as possible with very young children, because most bad behaviour is attention-seeking. If you don't respond they will soon grow bored and stop whatever they're doing. If it's something you can't ignore, like endangering themselves or someone else, remove the danger and tell them 'no' firmly.
The time to start serious work on discipline is when they hit the 'terrible twos'. If you get it right now, you will lay good foundations for the rest of their childhood (and adulthood, for that matter). Remember that all their tantrums are essentially a means of getting your attention - usually because they want to do something you won't let them, like pulling the cat's tail or drawing on the wall. So make sure they get plenty of attention when they’re playing quietly and again, wherever possible, ignore the tantrums – praise good behaviour and ignore the bad. If they are screaming the house down, they’ll probably scare themselves too, so get down to their level and talk them calmly through it.
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