Search Results for: blog should you discipline other peoples children

Keeping Kids Occupied When You Visit Older Adults

Whether you are going to visit older grandparents, a family friend at the retirement home, or an elderly neighbor, sometimes older adults and rambunctious children just do not mix. Of course, there are those seniors who love the noise and energy of children, but there are others who either because of illness or temperament do not have as much patience. As the parent, it is up to us to help our children learn how to behave and to come up with ways to keep them occupied and appropriate when visiting older adults. Keep in mind that if you are visiting … Continue reading →

Is Your Discipline Different in Public Than at Home?

A hundred years ago, it was common for the more financial affluent families to have a parlor or a room in their house that was not used for the family but existed merely as a place to entertain. This room was better furnished, often cleaner, and may have been the only room in the house that was really decorated since it was the public face of the family. While it would be ridiculous for me to assume that there is not a difference between how we act in public and how we act when we are in our comfortable homes … Continue reading →

When a Child’s Friend Has Bad Manners

We want our children to have friends (at least most of us do) and having little friends and peers over to visit is a typical reality in most households. The fact that all of these little people might have different values, ways of acting and manners is another reality. As the hosting parent (or just a parent), what should and can you do when one of your child’s friends displays poor manners? I think it is possible to set rules and expectations for your own house without presuming to educate a child on manners. I know there are some who … Continue reading →

Teacher Films Students for Documentary

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We have heard all types of cases of misconduct from educators. The media is very quick to make news of teachers who are not meeting their professional standard. London is no exception. A couple of years ago, Angela Mason posed undercover as a supply teacher in London. She was working as a journalist to create a documentary titled Classroom Chaos for Five. She had previously been a teacher but had left the profession over thirty years ago to make a career in broadcasting. Mason used a hidden camera in her purse and in a shirt buttonhole. She then recorded the … Continue reading →

No Touching at School

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Thanks to Heather, a recent story was brought to my attention. It seems that a middle school in Vienna, Virginia has taken the “keeps your hands to yourself” rule one step further. The middle school decided to enforce a new policy that states that children are not allowed to touch one another. The school is strict about upholding its policy and the school administrator defends the rule. The new rule helps the school keep control in locations such as the hallways and the cafeteria. Some parents and students are not so thrilled about the school’s strict course of action. One … Continue reading →

Rules or Guidelines?

By nature, I have never been someone who was particularly fond of rules. This presented a bit of a challenge for me when I became a parent. While I certainly am not the freewheeling, hip parent I imagined (or promised, rather) I would be when I was 15 or 16—I still am not someone who needs and insists on a lot of hard and fast rules. Just using the word hasn’t come easily. Instead, I have tended to be a parent who leaned toward “guidelines”… Many families are not only comfortable with “House Rules,” but they are also downright good … Continue reading →

Discipline vs Punishment

Here’s a quick one question pop quiz. What’s the difference between punishment and discipline? According to Dr. Ed Wemberly, author of A Parent’s Guide to Raising Great Kids, although the two words are often used interchangeably they are not the same. Discipline is the practice of making someone obey rules, while punishment is the consequences of not following established rules. The differences may be subtle but they are still significant and must be considered if we want to be the kind of parent our kids need us to be. What type of parent are you? Are you a discipline-based parent? … Continue reading →