Do not hold back discipline from the child (Proverbs 23:13).

Some children are effectively disciplined when they must experience the natural
consequences of their disobedience. For example, if your child fools around and misses his
bus at school, you may choose to let him walk home instead of picking him up yourself. If
he procrastinates on a school project you have urged him to complete, let him receive a
bad grade instead of bailing him out by doing the project yourself. For many children the
pain of the natural consequence is enough to prompt a change in behavior the next time.
Strong-willed children may respond best to this means of discipline. They often have to
learn the hard way.

Use wisdom when employing this method. Some natural consequences may be too severe when
other methods of discipline could be used. For example, making a child walk home from
school alone may not be advisable in dangerous neighborhoods or bad weather.

Sometimes you may want to plan a negative consequence that is logically related to your
child’s misbehavior. Logical consequences are effective because they teach children to be
responsible. For example, if your child carelessly spills his milk, a logical consequence
is for him to clean up the mess.

Logical consequences help avoid power struggles between the child and parent. They can
also greatly reduce nagging, correction and spanking. When your child completes the
consequence, the incident is over, and hopefully he has learned to avoid the problem in
the future.

Using natural consequences for discipline may require some extra work on your part. For
example, you may need to teach your child how to use a sponge mop, operate the washing
machine, etc. Don’t look for the easiest method of discipline; look for the best. What may
be convenient may not be correct. What works best for one child may not work well for
another. Logical consequences teach cause and effect and can be used as a positive
reinforcer.

Heavenly Father, grant me the wisdom to discipline my children for their future good as
You discipline me for my good.  

This daily devotional is published and distributed byhttp://www.GOSHEN.net/
 

It is written by Neil Anderson at http://www.ficm.org/