Behavior
appropriate, non-physical punishment. The National Association of Pediatric
Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) aligns with the AAP on physical punishment. Both agree that the use of spanking or other forms of physical punishment only teaches children aggressive behavior and will become ineffective. In addition, this further teaches them to associate discipline with pain rather than with an opportunity to guide improved behavior.
Age-Appropriate Discipline
Age 0-2 years Infants and toddlers do not have bad be- havior; they are learning and developing through discovery of the environment. A child’s actions are not outright defiant be- haviors, but part of normal development. The best management for this age is to plan in advance for such discovery. Be prepared to redirect and provide other options. If your toddler has an ob- ject that may be harmful, rather than just taking the object, calmly exchange it for a safe one. If your toddler is in a dangerous situation — climbing on a chair or up fur- niture, for example — remove and place her in a safe environment. Distract her with new activities or safe
toys. Timeouts are also effective methods to use with the one-and-a-half and two-year- old. Place your child in a designated area for no longer than one minute per year of life (one minute for the one-and-a-half- year-old, two minutes for the two-year-old).
Age 3-5 years Children of this age are beginning to develop more and have limited ability to connect behavior with actions and consequences. This is the time to start
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using simple explanations of rules and limits. Remaining calm is key. Your child will begin to mimic your behavior. If you yell, she will think screaming is the way to manage a situation. Remember to reward the good behavior to encourage the posi- tive. When discipline is required, continue to use consequences appropriate to the situation. For example, if your child colors on a wall, she will need to help clean it and she will not be allowed to use crayons the rest of the day. Cleaning the mess is an example of natural consequence; not being allowed to use the crayons for the day is a logical consequence. Timeouts are still appropriate for this age child, to a maximum of five minutes. Timeouts over five minutes lose effective- ness for the purpose of discipline.
Age 6-8 years By the time children are in the school- age range, they are able to understand consequences and follow set rules and limits. For this age, consistency of disci- pline is very important. Discipline should be directly connected with the action or behavior to be corrected. However, be careful not to set unrealistic expectations or discipline for your child. Also, be aware of how your own anger may influence your discipline. Take time to calm down if necessary
before deciding on the appropriate discipline. Discipline in the heat of the moment may result in punishment that is unrealistic or not helpful. Do not threaten to take away all electronics when your child may require access to a computer for school. You won’t be able to enforce that punishment. Also, if you remove all items for an entire month, your child then has no reason to improve her behavior, as
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