Why Discipline?

Many people think discipline means punishment. Discipline comes from the same Latin word as disciple, which means "learner" or "student." Your children are the students, and you are the teacher. When you discipline your children, you are just teaching them the right way to behave.

Discipline is vital to children's growth and development. Why?

• Discipline keeps your children safe. It is your job to protect your children from dangers that they are too young to understand.
• Discipline helps children understand limits and develop self-control. Children who know how to stay within limits grow up to be adults who understand and respect the rules of society.
• Discipline teaches children how to get along with others. A child who doesn't learn how to share, take turns, or be a good friend could be a very lonely child—and someday a lonely adult.