Child discipline: Encyclopedia - Child discipline

Child discipline

Methods of child discipline vary widely between cultures and have in recent times changed considerably in many of them.

In western society, there has been much debate in recent years over spanking in particular and corporal punishment for children in general. But many parents and teachers still agree with Machiavelli`s maxim:

"It is better to be feared than loved."

The appropriateness of Machiavelli`s ideas on the gaining of power to parenting have been questioned by many.

Earlier in history, Solomon advised:

"Discipline your children and they will give you rest" (Book of Proverbs 29:17)

and similarly warned:

"..A mother is disgraced by a neglected child." (verse 15b).

These parts of the Bible continue to influence conservative Christians and Jews today. However in the New Testament Paul wrote:

"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4)

The Taking Children Seriously approach eschews all child discipline as unethical.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Child discipline", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki