Does the discipline corner work when it comes to educating children?

The child throws a tantrum, responds, disobeys. At the time, many parents don’t know the best way to act and decide to put their child in the discipline corner. Does it work? Below are two experts defending their points of view:

Yea

This is a procedure for correcting wrong behavior and teaching right. The method has a beginning, middle and end and is applied based on simple, clear and concrete rules that are established by parents or educators in general. They must be related to the characteristics and needs of each child and defined with the intention of helping them to form their character. Parents show their child the rules, explain and make an obedience agreement. If he disobeys, the father or mother issues a warning. If the disobedience is repeated within a period of 24 hours, the child is taken to the discipline corner: a place designated for this, such as a mat, a chair or simply a specific space in any part of the house. It’s just not worth it in the little one’s room, since that’s a place to sleep or play and shouldn’t be associated with discipline. The child sits there for one minute per year of age – enough so that he can learn to reflect on his behavior. After that time, the father or mother approaches and asks the child if he knows why he was placed there. Usually he knows. Then, he apologizes and the parents hug him, kiss him and show lots of love. This method works because the little one needs limits, which are placed here with affection, perseverance and conviction. It is not punishment and does not leave negative marks. It brings children closer to their parents because the child perceives the love and dedication in the education process.

· Cris Poli is an educator, specialist in early childhood education, presenter of Supernanny (SBT) and author of, Responsible Parents Educate Together (Christian World) and Autonomous Children, Happy Children (People), among other books

No

When frustrated or angry, young children still cannot control their impulses, such as hitting or screaming. Although discipline mats or corners often work in the sense that, over time, the child does not present the undesirable behavior, this sanction does not favor development, because the behavior is only contained, and not transformed, since control comes from the adult. The corner is considered a punitive measure, as it is not linked to the committed act and does not teach more effective strategies for resolving conflicts, expressing feelings and learning the need for rules. Although many adults think that the child will stay there to think, we know that he is incapable of reflecting alone on the causes and consequences of his actions and that the use of this method does not allow for reflection on other possibilities for action. Conflicts should be seen as learning opportunities, giving adults clues about what the little one needs to learn. Thus, we adapt the intervention to his needs. An outburst of anger, for example, is useful for working on expressing feelings without causing harm to others. Our goal is for the child to develop self-regulation, that is, to be able to control an act of anger by expressing what he feels with words so that, in the future, he can demonstrate his discontent more assertively. If it is necessary to remove her, it is important that she decides when she is able to leave and return to the activity or play, following the rules and establishing a commitment to change her behavior with her parents, siblings or colleagues.

· Telma Vinha is an educator, researcher and professor at the Department of Educational Psychology at Unicamp. She is the author, among others, of the book When the School Is Democratic: a Look at the Practice of Rules and Assembly at School (Mercado das Letras)