This came in an email today:
‘Guidance is priceless. Next to love and nurture, giving your child a sense of discipline is one the most important gifts parents can bestow. While most parents realise how critical it is to set limits, doing it in a consistent, effective way is by no means an easy task. We all want kind, thoughtful, well-behaved children but we don’t always know the best way to achieve this. And in the back of our minds, we all worry that setting too many boundaries may curb our child’s spirit. Finding the right balance between encouraging your child’s freedom of expression and guiding him on the right track, can be a truly difficult task at times. So it’s well worth taking the time to discuss these issues with your partner, with other mothers, and family members who can offer advice. Try to decide early on how you will deal with disciplining your child. Trust your instincts and don’t pander to toddler tantrums, even if your little angel is causing the most incredible scene in the middle of the supermarket! Remind yourself that you are the adult here, and that this is not about who “wins” in the battle of wills. Always try to stay as calm as possible, keep your own anger at bay, and stick to your discipline routine. Remember that consistency and fairness are the two most important ingredients, and don’t waste any time worrying about what other people might think of you or your child’s behaviour’.
Just thought it was worth sharing … cos dads never have tantrums, do we? But if we did (try to imagine life on some other planet for a second), what should the kids do?
jasongoroncy.com 
My daughter Alleke is just 8-months old, and one of the questinos I’ve been asking since she was born is what kind of disciplilne will she understand at such a young age?
Sometimes it’s easy to assume that she is capable of reasoning like we do, but she can’t. She’s simply not old enough. I need to think carefully about the few instances where she knows right from wrong, and begin there, leaving the rest for when she’s older.
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It’s a fair enough (and important) question to ask. I’m also conscious that Sinead (14 mo) needs freedom to explore – which includes pushing the odd boundary – the house, the garden and her dad’s limits. Some of the limits I’ve imposed on her took a while until I reached some level of success but persistence, consistency, patience and a sense of humour seems to have made a huge difference. Sometimes, she just wants my attention. We’re always learning from each other.
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