When it comes to discipline, it’s not something that comes easy for everyone. Some people are natural-born disciplinarians, they can easily teach their kids the right way of doing things without ever having to go to the extreme. However, this doesn’t seem to work for everyone. Some only think that disciplining a child must involve flogging them or giving them impossible punishments when they mess up.
Discipline is a kind of bus stop that everyone gets to in their own way, we all have our individual approach to it, and most of the time, it’s always inspired by the kind of discipline we had as kids when we too were growing up. Our childhood can either give us something to emulate as parents or something to denounce as parents, either way, our childhood will always be a huge influence on the childhood of those who come after us.
This is why when we do the things that we do to our kids all in the name of discipline, we should know that it will affect the way they also get to raise kids of their own. The things they didn’t like about their childhood will not be accepted and they will instead do the ones they believed you should have done.
Parenting is always trial by error, there is no amount of preparation that can prepare you for it. There are books that will prepare you for the pregnancy, the birthing process, and the first few weeks of having a baby. However, the older the child grows, the more stubborn and disobedient they get which can easily spark your anger if they’re not careful. So, how you handle such situation will always be important.
For me, I’m not yet a parent, I’ve not even been in the capacity to be a parent. I read stories here about people who are already standing in for actual parents because they live in close proximity to their nephews and nieces. For me, it’s very different. While I have nephews and nieces, I’ve not really spent enough time with them so we can have what we’d call that parenting aura. For now, they only know me as that “rich” uncle who comes once in a few years to see them. Then I disappear again.
So, why am I saying all this? I just want you to know that I don’t really know the first thing about being a parent, so I can’t say for sure what goes and what doesn’t in that field. However, I do know that nothing really prepares you for that phase of life, it just deals you a hand and you have to roll with it, whether you’re ready for it or not. That’s the sad thing about life, and also the beautiful thing as well.
So, parents out there, kudos to you all, you’re the real gees. And then to those like me who are yet to become parents, I can only hope that in time, we’ll become better parents than our parents were. The things we didn’t like about our childhood, we’d make sure that we don’t inflict them on our kids. And then the good things will surely be revisited upon them.
So, discipline and whatnot, I really have no idea. You can have all the ideas that you want in your head, but it all changes the second you hold your baby in your arms. Knowing that the fragile little thing depends on you for life and health will change your perspective on a lot of things, including discipline. Watching them grow will also go a long way in softening them up towards you.
So, until I start wearing my Mummy and Daddy shoes, I’d refrain from putting my mouth in a “parent” matter.
