Physical Punishment For Toddlers

Physical Punishment For Toddlers

• Physical punishment should be used with great caution, this sort of punishment is used because it seems to work quickly. However, careful study has shown that if too much physical punishment is used with your child, there can be some unpleasant side effects.
• As they grow up, children will copy their parents' behaviour and attitudes. Children who are smacked, or hit frequently by their parents, often bully other children. If their parents yell, scream and hit a lot, their children will probably yell, scream and hit a lot too.
• There are lots of ways children avoid physical punishment - by lying, hiding their feelings, blaming others or cheating. These are not the kinds of behaviours parents want to encourage in their children.
• While smacking may stop a behaviour at the time, in the long term it loses its effect and often creates greater conflict.
• Some children, instead of reacting against their parents, go the other way, learning that it's easier to do nothing. Physical punishment tells you what not to do but doesn't tell you what you should do instead.
• Children who are smacked may become withdrawn, frightened of making mistakes or of trying something new. By making mistakes children learn. If children are afraid of making mistakes they may grow up unable to try new experiences and learn new things.

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Department for Community Devlp, Australia.

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