My Quirks Part IV: Discipline

Yikes!  Such a touchy subject!  I'm going to keep this one short.  Let me just say that personally I am a fan of distraction, re-direction, and time-out.  Don't get me wrong.  Hunter has had some swats on the bottom in his 4 years.  But never before the age of 2.5, and only with us asking him to stop the behavior, then getting a warning, then the swat.  It's never our first reaction... because it would be out of anger that I swatted him if I did it the first time the bad behavior occurred.  We all know that's not the right way to "spank" your children.  

I don't know really what to say on this subject except that I totally agree that every child is different, and something different will work with each child.  This is also true within the same child.  What worked with Hunter 6 months ago is no longer working.  

I also believe that the punishment should fit the crime (which is why I'm against spanking for the most part).  So...if Hunter pushes Graysen down...you're more likely to see me walk by and push him down than to give him a spanking.  If he colors on the wall with crayon...he has to help clean it off.  If he spits his food on the floor, he cleans it up.  Of course there are situations like talking back that we do the time - out routine.  Actually, currently it's "Go to your room and pick up until we tell you to come out" (which is 4 minutes from the time that he actually starts picking up).  He HATES to pick up...and didn't mind sitting in time-out anymore, so this is the new punishment.  

I have to say that since I've started babysitting I've been encouraged to see that my child is not the only one who misbehaves.  Do any other moms begin to feel that their child is the only one who doesn't listen?!