The most effective forms of punishment

As we mentioned in our previous blog post about punishment, punishment can be viewed from a psychological or traditional lens. 

Natural consequences

“Experiences are the best teacher, and the worst experiences teach us the best things” 

Natural consequences are, for the lack of a better word, repercussions that happen naturally! I remember when I was 7 I lost control of my scooter down a steep hill, and to this day I am very careful on a bicycle. Despite the fact no one punished me, I still remember these types of experiences. When clear natural consequences occur, children learn quickly and remember them. There is no need for additional irrelevant punishment. This goes without saying that you should intervene if your child is in any serious danger!

Logical consequences

Logical consequences are administered in a way that preserves your child’s dignity. They are typically designed to target specific misbehaviors through: 

1. Designing consequences to change specific behaviors 
2. Designing consequences to solve the problem your child has caused

When some situations are too dangerous or irrelevant to use natural consequences we can turn to logical consequences. For example if your child leaves their legos scattered around their room, you can explain to them that if they do not clean it up, they might lose pieces. 

Token consequences 

Traditional punishments are dished out relative to the extent of the wrongdoing- the punishment usually equates or surpasses that of the wrongdoing. The key to token consequences is for the consequence to be less severe than the wrongdoing to avoid the children feeling that they have been punished sufficiently. Punishment relieves feelings of guilt. When children do not feel guilt for their actions they are less likely to change. Keep in mind physical punishment should not be an option.

Self-reflection 

Sometimes it’s best to put your child in a room and ask them to think about their actions and its consequences. This serves as an immediate consequence for their misbehavior and has them think about how to take responsibility for their actions. Oftentimes, parents do not find the need to impose additional consequences. 

Sources

https://cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0605-stein.html

https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-negative-reinforcement-2795410

https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/punishment-vs-logical-consequences/#:~:text=Logical%20consequences%20are%20respectful%20of,the%20child%20is%20a%20problem.