In the corner or in his room: putting his child in a quiet place to punish him is common. But is this practice really good for him? American researchers have looked into the question.
“Around the corner! “. This corner of the wall, we have all necessarily encountered it at one time or another in our childhood. Many parents, even today, continue to isolate their child as a punishment after something stupid. But is this practice a good thing for its development? This is the question posed by researchers at the University of Michigan in the United States . In an attempt to answer it, they conducted a study among 1,400 families, by asking parents on the one hand about their methods. when their child was 3, 5 and then 10 years old, and on the other hand by analyzing children’s mental development as well as their attitude towards their parents.
The corner, yes, the spanking, no
The results, published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics on September 11, 2019, show that children who have been cornered (or in a quiet room) by their parents do not have more anxiety or behavioral disorders. than children who have not suffered this punishment . Better yet: According to Dr. Rachel Knight, author of the study and pediatric psychologist at the University of Michigan, putting your child in would even help reduce some behavioral problems when this method is used wisely. ” It is an educational strategy which is often misunderstood and misused “, regrets the specialist … On the other hand, scientists have been able to demonstrate that physical punishments(such as spanking) tended to generate violent behavior, or even anxiety in the child .
How to “properly” put your child in the corner
Rachel Knight reminds parents that for this method to be successful it must be imposed on the child in calm and consistent ways. It is also advisable to always favor a positive environment, and to explain things to your child, whatever his age, before putting him in a corner or in an isolated room so that he understands the reason for this gesture and its consequences. Goals.
Shed light on good education methods
The researchers do not intend to stop there. Future research will aim to expand the study to a larger and more varied number of the population. Ultimately, the ambition is to be able to define the best educational practices for the development of the child.