Tuesday, May 21, 2013 Penalty Box: Does The Crime Fit the
Punishment? You wouldn't give someone the death penalty for
running a red light, and the same rule of thumb should apply to
your children's wrongdoings. At the end of the day, you want to
make sure the crime fits the punishment.For example, you don't
want to ground your 5-year-old child to his room for a week for
hitting a sibling. You need to find a proper way of penalizing
the child. Everybody handles things differently. But the
American Academy of Family Physicians suggests using the
following techniques to teach your child right from wrong. Use
positive reinforcement and reward good behavior. Stickers,
charts and a reward system are a great way to ensure your
children behave appropriately. For younger children, rely on
redirecting to distract them for something.