In a shocking incident, a couple dumped their rebellious daughter in a desert in the hope that she would ‘grow up.’
What can you read in this article?
- Rebellious daughter left alone on an island by Chinese parents
- Disciplining vs Punishing your child
- Age-by-age ways to discipline your child
According to a report in the Mirror, the 13-year-old teenager was rescued from Shandong, China, after she managed to seek help from some fishermen.
Here’s what happened to the girl.
Rebellious daughter left alone on an island by Chinese parents
Image courtesy: Mirror Screenshot
Having become tired of her behaviour, the couple took their daughter to the rocky outcrop. They allegedly wanted to teach their girl a lesson about hardships and adversity.
The 13-year-old had also dropped out of school and was staying in her room all day. So out of desperation, they resorted to such extreme measures.
The island where the girl was left is around a kilometer off the coast of Rushan City. It has been deserted for many years now and has no electricity or running water.
The girl spent two days on the island before contacting the fisherman, who then reported the matter to the police.
When the officers arrived, she told them she “can’t stand” living only on water and compressed biscuits. The police soon ordered the girl’s parents to come down and take her away.
They reluctantly did so and said that their girl has matured during the two-day stay.
Now that’s quite a parenting technique to control a rebellious daughter!
Disciplining vs Punishing your child
As parents, we’re all too familiar with dealing with children who may become unruly at times.
While for some parents harsher physical punishments are the one way to discipline their kids, others may prefer a more gentle approach. Every parent has their own way of dealing with indiscipline.
But at the end of the day what you must remember is that mild-mannered discipline teaches children the value of obedience. It helps them learn from their mistakes.
But harsher punishments focus on the misdeed. They emphasize making the child feel bad for their actions.
If you have been worrying about your child’s misbehavior, we have some age-appropriate disciplinary measures that can help you as well as your child:
Age-by-age ways to discipline your child
Image courtesy: File Photo
Baby under the age of 10-12 months
For a baby under the age of 10-12 months, discipline is all about repeating the word ‘no’ and maybe a gentle pat on their hand. This helps them understand the danger in material things, especially those they are not supposed to touch.
You could also reiterate the dangers from those material possessions or objects, so it is ingrained in them from early on.
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Toddler stage
The main task with toddlers is to remove them from a dangerous situation. You will need to divert their attention.
For instance, if they are throwing a public tantrum, take them away in a different direction or distract them with something similar but less harmful.
Another effective way is to crouch down to their level and tell them that you hear them and remind them of your expectations from them. It’s always a good idea to incentivize good behavior too.
Preschool
Kids at this age are more aware of right vs. wrong and they can be held accountable for their actions. Be mindful of your own actions too because preschoolers can easily imitate their parents’ behaviour.
It is also important to explain to them why you want them to do certain things a certain way, and not just issue a memo.
Older kids
Image courtesy: File Photo
When children are mature, they begin to demand their own freedom. It is a stage where you need to be gentle but firm in your approach.
Here are some disciplinary steps that you can try.
- Talk to them and explain to them why and how they were wrong and offer an alternative.
- Take away privileges such as screen time, or playtime.
- Assign them household chores so they understand the importance of work
- If you are giving them pocket money, then tell them that you will deduct X amount because of their misbehavior.
Children need to be disciplined because they don’t know the difference between right and wrong. So your aim should be to teach your child the right way and not instill fear in their minds.
Don’t humiliate them in public as it affects their self-confidence. Instead, praise them publicly when you can.
Republished with permission from theAsianparent Singapore