Child rearing represents a highly responsible and demanding task since it means upbringing a full-fledged member of society. No one knows what is right or wrong in this world, but many parents strive to communicate it in the best possible way. Therefore, the discussed concepts include punishment and child-rearing patterns because they are directly linked to each other in terms of developing a future adult with healthy psychological attitudes.
Inappropriate behavior in children is a common phenomenon and can be caused by various factors, such as a lack of attention, imitation of adults, insufficient socialization skills, and so further. Punishment results from misbehavior and a power-assertive method that is supposed to influence a child through fear (Gordon & Browne, 2017). This concept was chosen because of the implications it has regarding parents. Sometimes punishment can be an unintended action triggered not by a child but by problems at work, difficulties with a partner, or a bad mood. In this regard, it has been well said that instead of children, parents should cultivate themselves first. The concept of punishment is worth remembering because many families still use this destructive practice, which emphasizes the need to conduct explanatory work with parents and teachers.
Another chosen concept refers to child-rearing patterns that are also called parenting styles. Scholars usually distinguish authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful patterns (Gordon & Browne, 2017). Authoritative and authoritarian styles have high demandingness in common but differ in responsiveness. Parents-adherents of permissive and neglectful style are not demanding toward their children. The patterns of child-rearing expand the vision from the perspective of punishment. Every family has set rules and accepted behaviors, the violation of which involves the responsibility of a child. Nevertheless, parents usually do not apply only one style but rather their combinations. For example, being neglectful parents does not mean the absence of punishment, but the explosion of annoyance and anger, though it can occur seldom. Parenting styles are important to remember because they can help to find an individual approach to a child.
Finally, the concepts of punishment and child-rearing approaches contribute not only to the understanding of children’s behaviors but also to parents’ attitudes. To be a good parent means constant self-reflection and self-cultivation. When parents refine themselves, a child will see it and learn to be a whole person.
References
Gordon, A. M., & Browne, K. W. (2017). Beginnings & Beyond: Foundations in Early Childhood Education (10th ed.). Cengage