Goals of Discipline

The  key force in providing discipline for children is to approach the conflicts between what a child wants and desires to do and the way society expects children to behave.  Discipline can be defined as attempts by adults to guide children into learning and internalizing socially appropriate rules and behaviors.
The desire in using discipline is to help children progress from impulsive, immature behavior to self-control. The goal of discipline is to empower children to develop self-regulation in order to be in control and direct their own behavior in a pro-social manner. Another goal of discipline is to help children internalize important rules and society expectations. For example, not throwing tantrums in public or not causing bodily harm to others.