By Stephanie Cochrane Posted February 18, 2009
“After Riley was killed, the couple bought a plastic container, partially filled it with cement, stuffed her beaten body inside it, and stored it in a shed at their home before dumping the remains in Galveston Bay,” said authorities of Galveston County Sheriff’s Department to Houston News.
A young couple was indicted for brutally murdering their toddler, Riley Ann Sawyers, in an attempt to teach the girl discipline. Imagine the thought process in the minds of these sick beings that would propel them to take that action on an innocent child, nevertheless a child of their own. Unfortunately, many adults struggle to find appropriate and effective ways to discipline their children.
Properly raising a child is the single most important responsibility a parent will have in their life. In essence, they are molding an infant’s future. Children are products of their environment; therefore, they must grow in a nurturing and mentally stimulating way in order to achieve success. Growth begins with discipline and continues once that foundation is set.
Discipline varies in each home; however certain principles propel every parent to take action. First, the parent wants to stop the wrong-doing, second, the re-occurrence of the action must be stopped, and third, the child must learn a lesson they can apply to their future. A parent must sympathize with the learning process the child is going through, yet must remain firm at the same time.
Honestly, there is no single way to discipline a child that each parent can apply except to do it with integrity, respect, and love. Discipline must be age-appropriate; children at young ages do not have the neurological development to make instant application of a first time corrective measure. Repetition and patience must be applied in parental guidance, as is applied in the scholastic learning environment. As children age, it becomes easier to determine what methods are appropriate in discipline, but from the start, the best thing to practice is love.
