How do you quickly extinguish dangerous behavior?
I once read a Gestalt Institute book on raising 1-2 year olds, saying that, though they don’t recommend it, some parents may choose to use corporal punishment to “quickly extinguish dangerous behavior.”
That cracked me up. So what do other forms of discipline accomplish? Slowly extinguish dangerous behavior? Are they trying to say that if you really want your toddler to stop doing something, you should spank him, but if it doesn’t matter if he ever stops, any form of discipline would work?
The Gestalt Institute has a point. Many parents have told me that they only spank when their child’s life was jeopardized by bad habits. Is there an alternative that works?


Leave a Reply