When your teen or tween lets you down, you could dole out punishment or take away privileges.
But developmental psychologists say there’s another option for correcting their behavior that could go a long way toward growing good adults.
One minute, you’re breaking up sibling battles and enforcing time-outs.
The next, your toddler’s a tween or teen and the transgressions become different.
Charlotte Sullivan knows her parents get mad when she leaves a mess.
For dad Jason, it’s not what his 12-year-old does, but what she sometimes says.
“Charlotte’s typical tween sarcasm gets a little disrespectful and then my voice is going to get a little bit sharp.”
Developmental psychologist John Gibbs surveyed tweens and teens in grades five, eight, and ten to measure the type of discipline kids get at home.
The researchers found benefits when parents used something called inductive discipline.
“You’re trying to induce in the child an awareness in how the transgression, whatever it was, adversely impacted others.”
For example, instead of taking away cell phones or grounding them, a parent disciplining a pre-teen or teen might say, “I never expected that kind of behavior from you,” “I have faith in you,” or “I expect better from you next time.”
The researchers found that teens whose parents were more likely to use inductive discipline felt they would be more accepted by their parents afterward, as compared with teens whose parents used other forms of discipline.
Also, the researchers found teens who felt accepted after inductive discipline cared more about being a moral person.
© 2023 - 910 Media Group
