As your child grows, he or she begins to understand the connection between actions and consequences. This means that parents can punish their children for their misdeeds. However, the type of punishment is taken into consideration. Here are some tips in applying discipline on your young child.

Explain the rules before you punish them – It’s important to explain to kids what you expect of them before you punish them for a certain behavior. For example, the first time your 3-year-old uses crayons to decorate the kitchen counter. You should discuss why that is not allowed and what will happen if your child does this again. Explain to your child that he or she will have to clean the countertop and will not be able to use crayons for the rest of the afternoon. If your child does it again, remind him or her that crayons are for paper only and then enforce the consequences.

Be consistent when it comes to discipline – It’s sometimes easier for parents to ignore occasional bad behavior or fail to follow through on some threatened punishment. However, this risks setting a bad precedent. It is important for parents to decide together what the rules are and then be unswerving in upholding them. This makes it clear to your kids what behaviors will be punished.

Reward good behaviors – Discipline is not just about punishment. Parents need to remember to recognize good behavior. Praising your child for sharing his toys at the playground is more effective than punishing him for not sharing. Remember to be specific when praising your child. Don’t just say, “Good job!”

Monitor your child’s misbehavior – Try applying a chart system if your child is displaying an unacceptable, repetitive behavior. Put up a chart with a box for each day of the week and decide how many chances you will give your child to display the unacceptable behavior before punishing him or her. The chart can also display how long the proper behavior must be displayed before it is rewarded. Monitor your child’s behavior on a daily basis, giving your child a concrete look at how he or she is doing. Once this begins to work, do not forget to praise your child for learning to control misbehavior.

Timeouts can work well – Establish a suitable timeout place that is free from distractions like computers, TVs, and video games, and will force your child to think about how he or she has behaved. Consider the length of time that will best suit your child. Rule of thumb suggests one minute per year of age is a good basis to follow, or you can use the timeout until the child is calmed down.

Tell what is right – Inform your child on what is the right thing to do, not just tell your child what not to do. Instead of telling your child not to play with their food, you may want to remind them that foods should be eaten to make them healthy.