You Are Your Child's First Teacher: Discipline and Other Parenting Issues

• The Question Of Discipline
  All discipline starts with self-discipline by the parents. It does not mean punishment. In fact "discipline" comes from the same root as "disciple" , so we're asking how we can raise our child to become devoted followers of their highest ideals, and not how we can force them to obey us. 

• Imitation and Example
  The principles of examples and imitation are so effective with a very young child that if you want to teach a certain behavior, it is the best to perform that behavior in front or (with) him, instead of giving the child orders or directions. For eg, instead of ordering, "Don't eat with your fingers!", pick up a spoon and demonstrating to him "we eat with our spoon." Instead of saying "Go clean up your toys.", perhaps you can do the duty together with your child while saying "Time to put your toys away!" Instructions combined with movement, song and good humor go a long way into getting a child involve in an activity. This approach emphasized on trying to say things POSITIVELY. Our actions speak to a young child more powerfully than our words.

• When You Say "NO!"
  - When what he wishes to do would be harmful to himself , eg.playing with a scissor
  - When what he wishes to do would be harmful to others, eg. pushing another child
  - When what he wishes to do result in real damage, eg. using markers on the wall

• Our Own Emotions
  Because children imitates efficiently, we need to monitor our own emotions and actions when interacting with them. Children don't do things to annoy you. They're exploring the world and testing out what works to get their needs met.When a child tries to approach with an annoying behaviour, parents tend to remain silent until they reached their limit, and overreacted from the string of annoyance. As a result, the child feels unacknowledged and continue the negative behavior to get the attention he expected.

• Why Parenting Takes SO Much Energy
  The first thing that is necessary for a happy and healthy baby is to have a happy and healthy mother. Babies are nourished by love and care just as they are nourished by food. The reason parenting takes so much energy is that the life forces of the mother and baby are interconnected through the first three years. The young children are surrounded and consumed by "life energy" or "vitality" from their mother, therefore it can be rather deceptive that it seems you're accomplishing so little that day, but feels that energy has been totally drained . Caring for young children draws on your vital energy and you need to replenish your own vital forces to continue to feel good in your mothering.

My highlighted keypoints from Chapter 7, Discipline and other Parenting Issue. 
Title: You Are Your Child's First Teacher (Third Edition)
By: Rahima Baldwin Dancy