Alternatives to Punishment

One way to avoid dishing out “punishments” for inappropriate behaviour is to make sure all consequences for behaviour are logical (i.e. the consequence is directly related to the behaviour)
 
For example, if your child draws on the wall with crayons, a logical consequence would be that they need to clean it off (and perhaps they will not be permitted to go out to play until the wall is clean).

Logical consequences may not always be so obvious for younger children, for example, with the drawing on the wall scenario, you may need to assist a younger child in the cleaning process.

The important thing is that your child is present and participating in the entire cleaning process.

Using logical consequences as an alternative to punishments can help children develop an association between their own behaviour and the impact it has on others, the environment, etc. which in turn can lead to improved choices in behaviour (i.e. they begin to develop an internal motivation to behave appropriately because “it’s the right thing to do”, versus behaving appropriately only to avoid a punishment).