A survey on disciplinary practices commissioned by the Singapore's children society revealed that the most common discipline action taken by Singaporean parents is to explain to their child what they had done wrong.
The next most common disciplinary action is to show anger to the child, followed by taking away some of his privileges. Telling a child that he is not loved was the least frequently used active form of intervention.
The same survey also revealed that mothers were more likely to use physical punishment than fathers. Mothers also considered physical punishment as being more effective compared to fathers.
These results were contrary to the stereotype many hold about Asian fathers being disciplinarians in the family, who would most likely endorse and use power assertive methods more frequently.
However, when we ask ourselves what exactly does anyone mean when he talks about the discipline of a child? Does it mean physically terrifying him and letting him know that a negative action equates pain?
Or does it mean a chat, a back rub and some warm cocoa to show that unacceptable actions should be stopped with a gentle ‘No’?
This week on theAsianParent , we explore the depths of discipline – the types of discipline, the actions parent resolve to and the outcomes of all these.