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Friday, September 7, 2012

Learning from Harry Potter

Last night my husband turned on the Harry Potter movie, The Order of the Phoenix and I couldn't help watching it too :)  Of all the villains in all the Harry Potter movies, the scariest one (to me) is Professor Umbridge.  She is positively sickeningly sweet on the outside and pure evil on the inside.  Her form of "punishment" is to torture the students, for their own good of course.  Yes, she controls the situation and the students learn their lesson...but it's not the lesson she intends.  They learn to both fear and hate her.

Even little angels need an occasional correction  :)
I know the movies and their books are fiction but while watching the movie my mind wandered to the subject of discipline, effective and counterproductive.  Having no discipline produces children who don't know how to follow rules or get along with others and who control their households.  Too harsh discipline produces children who comply outwardly but harbor resentments, yearn for the opportunity to rebel, or become cowardly and fearful.  Neither is healthy for well-adjusted children.

The best form of discipline comes from the mom who remembers what discipline is all about...which is training and teaching her children to behave in an appropriate manner.  The mom acts on the situation; she doesn't react.

So, whether it's a time-out, a withholding of privileges, or whatever seems appropriate for the misbehavior, if you respond in a firm yet gentle manner, your child is more likely to get the message you want him or her to receive. 

3 comments:

  1. I still prefer ruling children by fear...it makes life much easier!

    ReplyDelete
  2. How's that working for you David :p...or should I wait ten years and ask when your girls are teenagers??? It's coming.....

    ReplyDelete