The word discipline comes from the Latin word "disciplina" which means "to teach." It involves teaching the child right from wrong, respecting other people's rights and the behaviors which are acceptable and which are not. As there are many forms of teaching, there also are many forms of disciplining.
For us, we really started discpiplining our son when he was about 10 months, as this was the time he started to talk and communicate with us through his words and actions. Even though sometimes he would just stare at me, wondering what I was talking about, I would talk to him about how to properly do things. I do not think that there is really a right age to start on disciplining children. It is an ongoing process and as our children grow, we also learn about their behaviors.
Discipline begins at home and as parents, we try to set an example of doing the right things. We also try to be firm when we set rules. At Joaqui's age, he now begins to throw tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants, and no matter how hard it is to stick to the rules, we try to just distract him on other things and when he has calmed down we explain to him the reason for our actions.
With regard to spanking as a form of discipline, for me it has no value to very young children and can affect their sense of security and self-esteem.
Although discpline is a joint effort for both me and my husband, my husband is more of the disciplinarian. He is the "moderator" in the house and he tends to be more firm when saying no, especially to Joaqui.
Discipline is also a way of showing our love to our children. Good discipline always has a goal of helping to develop a child who is self-confident, self-disciplined and to feel secured and loved.
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