WHAT IS DISCIPLINE?
Discipline is about teaching, not punishing. In fact, the word discipline comes from the Latin word disciplina, which means instruction or training. It is also linked to the word discere, which means to learn.
So at its core, discipline is about guiding and training children to learn—to discern right from wrong, to recognize good from bad behavior, and to choose healthy over unhealthy decisions.
📖 Source: “Raising Mentally Strong Kids” by Daniel G. Amen, MD, and Charles Fay, MD
Discipline Means:
❌ Not to punish
✅ But to teach and train
Many parents assume discipline is about punishing or penalizing children to enforce obedience and build “perfect” character. But here’s the truth: nobody has perfect moral character. We all make mistakes including us, as parents. So how can we expect our children to be flawless?
The reality is, children learn from their mistakes. When we allow them to make small, affordable mistakes while they’re young, they develop the skills needed to avoid bigger, life-threatening, or serious mistakes as they grow older.
Effective parenting is a balance of being loving and firm at the same time.
Example:
Sarah has a 9-year-old son, Amir, who is full of energy. Because of his hyperactive nature, he often loses or breaks things. In one year alone, Amir broke 5 flasks, even the strongest ones. Each time, Sarah reminded him to be careful, but clearly, the reminders weren’t working.
When Sarah learned the true meaning of discipline, she decided to respond differently. Staying calm, she told Amir:
👉 “From now on, you’ll have to pay for a new flask yourself. How do you plan to do that?”
At first, Amir was upset. But soon he replied, “Fine, I’ll save some of my tiffin money each week and then buy one.”
Through this experience, Amir realized:
It’s okay to make mistakes.
What matters most is learning from them.
Next time, he’ll be more careful with his belongings not because he was punished, but because he learned responsibility.
💡 Discipline is not about control. It’s about preparing our children for real life.
Faizah Abdullah #thedailyparent
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