The word discipline comes from the Latin word, disciplina, which means “to teach”. Many conventional approaches to discipline offer little in the way of understanding our children’s needs and finding a common ground on which to connect in a meaningful and productive way. When we look at how discipline is actually teaching our children we may begin to question its alignment with our intention.

Articles in our Children and Discipline section offer a range of perspectives on how to deal with common challenges of parenting including biting, tantrums and lack of cooperation. Our writers offer thoughts on the impact of using shame and challenge our understanding of misbehaviour. There are ideas for adopting a gentle approach to discipline and strategies for building constructive communication and respect.