The first president of the USA, George Washington, once said, “Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable, procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.”
He very rightly pointed out that discipline forms the bedrock of a strong society and even families. And while we may inculcate a few disciplinary values in our lives, as parents we all know that disciplining a child is not an easy task. Let’s not forget that children have impressionable minds and what we teach them stays with them forever.
While there are many methods to discipline kids, one that works wonders is the ‘Rubber band method of discipline.’
What is the rubber band method of disciplining children?
Do not go by the name. It doesn’t mean tying your kids with rubber bands! The rubber bands are for you and this is how the method works:
- Place three rubber bands on your right wrist as soon as you wake up in the morning. The rubber bands on the right hand are just reminders.
- All you have to do is to make it a point to praise your child at least three times in the day.
- Every time you praise your child, you can pass on the rubber band to your left wrist.
Say for instance you are running late for a family get-together. You are struggling to wind up your chores and stuff the kids in the car, but they insist on playing with their toys. At this point, the easiest way to make them listed to you is to shout at them.
But, instead, if you take a minute and encourage your kids to continue their play after you return home, they will respond to your request positively. When they do, shift one rubber band from your right wrist to the left.
The remaining rubber bands on the right wrist will keep reminding you to praise your children. In addition, the bands on your left hand will leave you feeling good.
Continue reading to understand the use of appreciation in the rubber band method of disciplining children.
An important aspect of the rubber band method of disciplining children is to appreciate their efforts.
Appreciation makes everybody happy and it’s the best thing to do when your kids are young. Sometimes in order to discipline them, we often end up saying things like ‘you can never learn anything in life,’ ‘if you don’t study you might not be able to achieve anything’ or ‘you are good for nothing.’
Appreciation is the key to a confident child and therefore, as parent, you must appreciate your child as often as possible
At times, as parents we may also get irritated by their habits and end up using a harsh tone with them. If you experience the same situation, here’s what you should do:
- Start your day by hugging your child even if they are not listening to you
- Rather than using words like ‘Don’t do this don’t do that,’ give logical explanation to ‘Why not’
- If they like eating junk food, let them indulge one in a while but simultaneously encourage them to eat healthy food
- If they like playing Xbox 360 or Playstation games, you should go and cheer for them and then get them interested in outdoor sports like cricket, badminton or even football.
The more you bring politeness and appreciation in your kid’s life, the easier it will get to discipline your kid. And if you are a beginner, the rubber band method can prove to be quite beneficial.
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