Punishments are administered by parents to help children learn the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. Babies should never be punished because their brains are not capable of understanding right from wrong, and the purpose of punishment is to teach children right from wrong. Never punish babies.

Around 7 months of age, most children begin to make associations between two activities. For example, running water means tubby time is near; sitting in a high chair means yummy mushed peas or carrots are coming.

If parents punish babies, they will become frightened and anxious. They will associate fear with their parent- not with what they did or didn’t do. Also, the stress and fear the babies feels when punished cause their brains to release stress hormones. These stress hormones affect the baby’s brain in negative ways which can lead to sleep problems, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and excessive crying.

Research has also found that babies who are punished excessively have 20% to 30% smaller areas of their brains that are responsible for controlling emotions.

Never Punish Babies!
Never Hit Babies!
Never Yell at Babies!
Never Shake Babies!

When Should Punishments Begin?
The goal of punishment is to help children replace inappropriate behavior with appropriate behavior. Punishments will only work under the following conditions:

1. If children can understand that what they did was inappropriate;
2. That this inappropriate behavior was a choice and not exploratory;
3. That the great majority of the time parents spend with their children is positive;
4. That the primary purpose is to teach what TO do rather than teach what NOT to do;
5. And that children are always treated with respect.

If these conditions are present, punishments in the form of time-out, or loss of privilege or being grounded can begin around 2 ½ years of age.