Punishment and discipline have often been interchanged however their meanings couldn't be more different. The Latin root of punishment means "to inflict pain," while the Latin root of discipline means "to teach." I know there are some people who believe the only way to teach is by inflicting pain but the work of cellular biologist, Bruce Lipton, should dispel that myth forever. When studying cells, Dr. Lipton teaches us that cells can only be one of two positions--protection or growth. If a cell is in protection mode it cannot grow. Fear is not a good teacher. Fear can gain compliance but it will never raise a person's consciousness, develop better decision-making skills or inspire someone to produce quality work. A person who is afraid has …show more content…
That's a natural consequence. What if the child doesn't study and still gets a good grade? That's also a natural consequence. It's a consequence of already knowing the material. Do you think the person should be disciplined for not studying, even though the grade earned was good? What would be the lesson in that? The best way I know to help people develop positive self-discipline is to first have a caring, respectful relationship with him or her. When people know you care about their well-being, then they aren't afraid and their soul (and cells) can be open for growth. Then teach the child to choose behavior that is in line with their goals and the person he or she wants to be. Help them to understand the difference between short-term pleasure and long-term happiness. Connect the things you want the person to do with something they genuinely want. Trust them to make good decisions in the future. The consequence for misbehavior is a conversation--a conversation designed to teach people a more effective and responsible ways to get what they want in the situation without hurting themselves or others. That conversation is still an imposed consequence but it comes from a caring place and an educational