Laying Down The Law

When it comes to parenting, the issue of discipline often causes raucous debate. But boundaries are important when it comes to raising kids.

- Taryn Das Neves

Nothing sets parents’ nerves on edge quite like the topic of discipline. When your little bundle is handed to you it’s hard to believe you’ll inevitably end up like those parents you’d sworn you’d never be – standing in the aisle at the supermarket while your little cherub screams and thrashes about over the box of cookies they’re not allowed to open.

Most parents have been there (no judgement here!). But how do you approach discipline in the modern era where smacking, time out, and similar methods are frowned upon? How does the modern parent, well, parent?

In No-Drama Discipline, Dr Daniel J Siegel and Dr Tina Payne Bryson take a scientific, yet gentle, approach to setting boundaries. The latest research has shown that children, from babies to teens, need to know life’s limits. In fact, the brain and its development thrives on it. Think about how you discipline a baby – it’s not discipline in the ‘punishment’ sense of the word, it’s more about teaching and instructing around your baby’s safety. You teach them what’s safe to go into their mouths and what isn’t; where it’s safe to crawl and walk, and where it might be dangerous. Without realising it, you’re setting boundaries for them, instructing them about their world.