6 Ways to Discipline your Child without Provoking them

Discipline is a substantial key when raising your child. The forms of discipline determine how the child’s attitude will come out once he grows up.

Many parents worldwide discipline their children according to how their own parents disciplined them.

Parents and guardians should stop this mistake. We should discipline in the smartest way so that the child learns from their mistake and not provoke them simultaneously.

Scripture Perspective on “Discipline your Child without Provoking them.”

Let’s look at some scriptures from the Bible about child discipline: Ephesians. 6:4 (English Standard Version)

⁴ Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

Let’s also look at another key verse from Colossians 3:21 (English Standard Version)

Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

As you will notice, the writer of the verses refers to Fathers, but it should not escape the reader that the verses are addressing both parents.

So whether you are a mother or a father, you can learn how to discipline your child without provoking them.

Are there times your child was angry at you because you provoked them? What did you do to cause the provocation? Children, in certain times, are justified in having holy anger towards us.

I justify holy because they are mad at you, their parent.

Provoking your child will only accumulate to stressful days when the child grows up. I will guide you through some key steps on how to discipline your child without provoking them.

1) Have Realistic Expectations

Parents and Guardians tend to expect too much from their children. For example, the child may not be superior at academic work but excellent at playing football. The parent will always pressure the child to perform well in academic work and sometimes punish the child severely for poor grades. This is a crucial part where most parents fail to put much concern. The child will undergo a series of scolding by the parent. After some time, he will feel provoked. This is where his/ her discipline tends to depreciate. The more the child will be provoked, especially at a young age, they will gain hatred for the parent, which may lead to a catastrophe.

The more the child will be provoked, especially at a young age he/ she will gain hatred upon the parent and may lead to a catastrophe.

The parent should have realistic expectations in that if the child is not doing well in school or given any task, a more formidable way of discipline should be used. The parent should not punish the child for unreachable expectations but rather have a positive attitude towards the child and offer moral support.

Set expectations that the child may achieve and increase the level of expectations with time. You will notice that the child will gain appropriate discipline and will not be provoked

2) Avoid Constantly bringing out Faults

Children have a belief that their parents give them absolute love. When they are young, you as a parent should avoid rebuking them for every mistake they make. They will obviously get angry and then feel provoked. If the faults keep being brought up, the child will somehow start losing the unconditional love they once had for the parent. The child will be angry and aggravated. As a parent, you should gain a positive form of criticism for the faults caused by the child. Having a positive way of disciplining the child will also avoid seeing petty mistakes and always bringing up faults.

3) Choose your Battles Wisely

As a parent, you should not always pick out minor arguments with your child all the time. For example, you set a curfew, and the child comes home late.

You will get mad and punish the child. These small battles should be addressed in more of an affirmative manner.

Issue out a warning if the child fails to maintain discipline. If he/she does it for the second time, have small talk. If the issue is repeated consistently, then the appropriate way is to combine efforts with both parents and some of your friends.

It may seem intimidating to the child, but in the end, the child will learn from their mistake. Picking battles with them most of the time provokes their reputation and diminishes their discipline.

4) Comparing your Child to others is a Way of Provoking them

Your child may seem not to fit in terms of many activities, which other children tend to do well than them.

By doing so you will feel obliged to pressure your child to become like the other kids. This is a common mistake among many parents at this age.

The parent will think that putting pressure on the child is a way of motivating them. It provokes the child, and he/she loses discipline and morals.

As a parent, identify what the child does best; it can be unique from what you compare with other kids.

By doing so, the child will be motivated to achieve their goals and maintain high standards of discipline.

5) Think about the Outcome of Provoking your Child

What are the consequences if you pick on your child all the time?  The child will feel irrational. As a parent, you may think you are giving them discipline, but the child, in the actual sense, is gaining nothing from the correction.

Think of an outcome that may have a positive impact on the child.

As much as you want to discipline your child, you also want to establish a strong relationship with the kid.

So having to think about the outcome will aid in avoiding provoking the child and maintaining high standards of discipline.

6) Be Calm before Dealing with a Discipline Issue

Cases of parents beating their children, giving them severe injuries and also children injuring their parents have been common recently.

A parent picks out an argument with the child; this provokes the child they end up committing a crime.

It is so sad for such an image to be displayed because of provoking the child. If a discipline issue pops up, do not start spanking the child. Listen to his or her story of what made them become indisciplined.

After listening, have a civilized way of communication and don’t raise your voice to an extent you piss the child off.

By doing so, you will have disciplined the child by using appropriate communication skills hence avoiding a catastrophe.

The Bottom Line

It is very important to use an ideal form to discipline your child without provoking them as a parent.

According to the Bible verses in Colossians and Ephesians, discipline and instruction are necessary without provocation.

The child has a sensitive way of responding to things. For discipline matters, parents must have a formidable way of ensuring the child has lofty standards of discipline.

Also, maintain a positive attitude in their minds. The child will grow up having high standards of discipline and fewer chances of being provoked by anyone.