Worst discipline mistakes most parents make!

We all have our own unique ways to punish bad behaviour. But there are times when nothing you do, time-out, rewards or dire consequences, the child is still not listening to you and throwing a major tantrum. It could mean that you are doing something wrong in disciplining your kids. Here are the most common mistakes that parents often make....

You are in a mall and the child is spilling his juice on the floor. What would you do? You will warn him, and if the child still doesn't budge, in all likelihood you will shout at him in public. When you shout at children publicly, they do not focus on what you are saying, but feel a deeper sense of hurt and are conscious of people around you overhearing the yelling. Instead you should ask the child to correct the behaviour and tell him that you need to discuss this behaviour with him once you two are alone.

If you always take the bribing way to calm your child's tantrum, then you are giving the wrong signal. To your child, you are rewarding his bad behaviour and he may always seek reward for doing the right thing. If your child has to wait in a queue, then he must know that he will not be rewarded with a candy or pizza for quietly standing in the queue. That is the right thing to do and it is non negotiable.

You are sitting with your friends, happily remembering good old times and your little one is throwing things off the table and throwing a fit. You try to give him your phone but even that is not helping. Ask yourself when was the last time you fed your child? The tantrum could simply mean your child is hangry (hungry + angry). This can make the best of us impatient too!

Your child mistakenly dropped one of your earrings down the toilet and you are shouting so hard that you cannot hear him. You wouldn't do it if you knew that children can't absorb lessons if they are being screamed at and may just get madder in response or simply shut down to your response. In fact, if you often do it, you will see that your child will feed off your anger and may respond in a similar manner with you. So instead of shouting, try warning them with a harsh consequence.

You had a bad day at work and the boss wants you to finish a presentation before you call it a day. You return home late at night, visibly tired from all the stress and you see that your child hasn't finished his homework. You create a huge ruckus and do not let him explain that he needed help with the work. If you are trying to discipline your child, you must keep your external stressors aside. It can be tough but try not to react immediately - give yourself some time.

Most of us want our kids to behave properly in public and say the right things. It happens because we believe that their behaviour will reflect upon our own personality and how good or bad we are as parents. Well, that is not so! Your child's behavior is a way of him exploring how he can get what he wants - when you try to over read their bad behaviour, you will know that deep within they seek something. Do not overreact as it may weaken your bond with your child.

In the end, it is important to drive the point home that you are not disrespectful to your child and similarly, you expect that your child isn't disrespectful to you.