Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site teddy.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!talcott!panda!teddy!rdp
From: rdp@teddy.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.kids,net.legal,net.politics
Subject: Re: corporal punishment in schools
Message-ID: <1249@teddy.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Sep-85 08:33:21 EDT
Article-I.D.: teddy.1249
Posted: Wed Sep  4 08:33:21 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 5-Sep-85 20:31:39 EDT
References: <2149T3B@psuvm> <658@rduxb.UUCP> <1214@teddy.UUCP> <14@unc.unc.UUCP> <11316@rochester.UUCP> <1247@teddy.UUCP>
Reply-To: rdp@teddy.UUCP (Richard D. Pierce)
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 38
Xref: watmath net.kids:1873 net.legal:2268 net.politics:10811

>>> In article <1214@teddy.UUCP> lkk@teddy.UUCP (Larry K. Kolodney) writes:
>>>	Discipline based on fear is worse than no discipline at all.
>>> 
>>I must pose to you a situation involving a parent child confrontation.
>>Parent :    Time for bed.
>>4yr old:    Nope.
>>
>>Parent :    Please, time for bed now.
>>4yr old:    Nope.
>>
>>Parent :    You must go to bed now.
>>4yr old:    Nope. 
>>

This all brings up a somewhat tangential subject, the issue of what to do
about bedtime. It turns out to be related to discipline.

My oldest brother has 4 children. When his oldest was in the 3-6 year
range, he was punished by being sent to his room. Very quickly, he learned to
hate his room. As a result, it was impossible to put him to bed. He viewed
bedtime as yet more punishment. I had to baby sit for a while, and I punished
him by making him sit in a convenient (for me) corner until he seemed to cool
down, and then we would attempt to talk out the problem. (It is simply
amazing how articulate a very young child can be about things!) At night,
when I had to put him to bed, I would start playing with him in the living
room, then take him and whatever he was playing with up to his bedroom, and
allow him to play for a few minutes before putting him in bed. As a result,
it became very simple to make him go to bed.

Now that I have my own children (Nathaniel is now 18 months and has been
out of the crib since he was 15 months), I and my wife have tried to make
him feel as if the bedroom is his for his rest and enjoyment. We have even
found this great fitted sheet that has a small tent attached. Consequently
there has been absolutely no problems putting him to bed.

Discipline is as much (if not more) positive reinforcement as it is negative.

Dick Pierce