Positive Discipline Essay, Research Paper

Teaching young children right from wrong is a practice that has developed throughout the ages. Today, the focus is on positive discipline approach while guiding children through common situations, like when young children use profanity, opposed to the physical punishment tactic used in the past. A commitment needs to be made to a positive approach in disciplining young children. The main part of this paper will discuss the approaches that a child care provider can facilitate when directing children in positive discipline.

The use of profanity from children is directly impacted by social, economic, and community backgrounds. In a religous community for example, parents might observe a tight restriction on the use of profane language. Parents in non-religious communities may not put as much emphasis on this value. There are several catagories of profane language according to Dr. Timthy Jay, including, name calling, insulting, and profanity. Dealing with the usage of profane or negative language can be positive. If a two or three year old blurts out a dirty word, the childcare provider may simply tell the child to not say the word again. A child at the age of five canunderstand and receive an explanation for not using the word again. At age eight a child is capable of empathy and shoukd understand that what they say may hurt another childs feelings.

The Issue: Cursing

Cursing by children in public has been increasing in America, especially in daycare settings. It has, therefore, become the classroom teachers responsibility to discipline the students actions with positive discipline. Children need to learn respect and understand the differences between what is acceptable, unacceptable, and innapropriate language. Acceptable language is considered a formal level of speech. This type of speaking is what every child should acquire. Unacceptable language includes harrasment, gender or racial discrimination, and obscenity. Inappropriate language depends heavily on context according to Dr. Timothy Jay. He also belives what is appropriate in the classroom differs from what is appropriate language on the playground.

What are the Circumstances in the Misbehaviing Childs Life

Why is the Child Using Profane Lanuage

In the stages of early childhood development parents and teachers should expect a child to use some dirty language. Children will use the language they hear from other children and the adults to whom they are exposed to. There are also other circumstances to why a child uses dirty language other than just experimenting with words. The child may be seeking attention, bullying another child, or simpily expressing anger. Questions the teacher or parent need to ask, may include: Was the child provoked or was the word spontaniously used? Some children use profanity when they feel frustration or anger. Cursing is sometimes positively reinforced by parents or sibilings. When a child uses a dirty word, giving them attention such as laughing or asking them to say it again, increases cursing behavior. Cursing can also be reflecting a childs home life and what they are exposed to in the home. Ther may even be an underlying problem to the cursing a child uses. Child abuse or physiological disorders may be reasons the child curses, it shows aggression within.

Could the Use of Profanity be Linked to a Stage

Cursing could possibly be linked to a developmental stage, an individual or temperament difference, an environmental issue, or becuase of un met emotional needs. Many problems occur when a new developmental phase starts in a childs life. For example, a two year old goes through body independence, this also starts a period of negativism due to frustration. When a child goes through this stage the parent or child care provider needs to be firm and supportive.

Behavior and profane language is an individual problem. Not all children at the same age act the same way. Each child has different issues to deal with in their life. The environment a child is exposed to creates the behavior a child uses. When a child is exposed to unusual and new territory they react it it. Cursing is a result of being frustrated with not being able to learn or adapt to new situtations or skills. Unmet emotional needs, suach as lack of attention, cause children to have outbursts. All of the issues in a child s complicated, stressful life can result in cursing.

Children vent emotions, specifically anger, in different ways. Using profane language is one way a seven year old might overcome their immediate anger. Dislike is also shown by cursing or aggressive language. Children must realize that name calling might result in physical retaliation from another child. No mattter what the reason for a child s profane language there needs to be some form of discipline.

The Discipline Used

Positive discipline is more effective and longer lasting than physical discipline. Physical punishment promotes low self image. It does not teach children constructive ways to resolve problems or conflicts. Physical punishment most likely increases negative acts such as profanity. Physical punishment has become outdated and can have very negative effects on children if used improperly.

Why Use Positive Discipline

Positive discipline most importantly can be used as a tool in guiding young childrens understanding of anger management. When a child wrongly acts out the discipline used should become a learning experince for that child. This discipline fosters a emotional state of positive self-esteem. It also provides the ability for children to grow and mature, by developing their memory and language skills.

When a child curses or uses inappropriate language positive discipline helps them to internilize societal expectations and develop self-control. It lets them take control of their actions. Even though this may seem an advanced skill for young children, positive discipline fosters appropriate behavior, reinforcing good language skills through lessons of respect, reason and responsibility. A child must understand the language they use hurts feelings of others. A positive way to increase good language is to reward it. Expectations for young children must be sustained at their developmental level. Most importantly a child needs consistancy in their discipline for it to be effective.

The use of profanity in young children today is noticed more because of social, economic, and community backgrounds. To manage this behavior, positive enforcement proves it works when used consistantly. Children can understand the power of words when shown by means of the right guidence. As Judy Reinsberg writes in her article Understanding Young Childrens Behavior, In truth, discipline is grounded in principles of guidence,effective teaching, and relection. Physical punishment does not teach a child a lesson, it creates a bigger problem. Profanity is a lack of respect and positively correcting a child shows morality.