The relationship between a parent and a child is one bound by love, but the manner of communicating that love can make or break the relationship in the long run. Here in the Philippines, two out of three parents have been found to use corporal punishment as a disciplinary method on their children while nine out of 10 parents who practice corporal punishment have also been subjected by their parents to it, according to a 2011 Pulse Asia Perception Survey. The prevalence of corporal punishment in Filipino homes has prompted the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) to initiate a cultural advocacy campaign called Advocate Right to Safety Zone for Children (PETA ARTS Zone Project).

Most of us grew up learning the ways of life through corporal punishment. Back in the day, it was okay for our parents to discipline us through spanking. But times have changed, and in today’s world, there’s such a thing as positive discipline. So what is positive discipline?

Positive Discipline

You can browse the internet and read several books for a more details explanation on this, but basically is disciplining in a positive way. Let me elaborate that in my own words. When using positive discipline, parents and adults need to focus more on the positive behavior the child has shown rather than the negative. So instead of reprimanding your child for breaking your favorite vase, talk with him properly like talking to an adult. Praise him for any good behavior. Pay more attention to the good than the mistakes.

Positive discipline is an approach to parenting that teaches children and guides their behavior, while respecting their rights to healthy development, protection from violence and participation in their learning; Positive discipline is not permissive parenting and is not about punishment. It is about long-term solutions that develop children‟s own self-discipline and their life-long skills. Positive discipline is about teaching non-violence, empathy, self-respect, human rights and respect for others.”

“Most parents want their children to grow into non-violent problem-solvers who have good relationships with their families and high self-esteem and who are happy people. Corporal punishment interferes with development in all of these areas. It predicts higher levels of aggression in children, poorer parent-child relationships, and poorer child mental health. It serves no useful purpose in teaching children what we want them to learn.”

(Source: Joan Durrant, in “Positive Discipline: What it is and How to do it” published by Save the Children Sweden, found in: http://sca.savethechildren.se/South_East_Asia/Latest/Author-Interview-Positive-Discipline-What-it-is-and-how-to-do-it/)

The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) wants to transform this culture of apathy to a culture of empathy. With creative workshops and a stage play toured in communities all over Metro Manila, PETA Advocate Right to Safety Zone for Children (PETA ARTS Zone Project) brings the art of positive discipline closer to the Filipino family by highlighting the benefits of disciplining children through positive ways without having to resort to violence — physical or psychological.

Positive discipline is more than a disciplinary method. It is a way of life that involves open communication with a child, making sure that the parent-child relationship is rooted on mutual love and respect. It ensures that the child understands the consequences of his actions and allows him to make his own decisions, making discipline a matter of deep understanding and going beyond blind obedience.

For the past three years, PETA has been transforming Filipino homes, one family at a time, through the PETA ARTS Zone Project by promoting a kind of discipline that excludes pain and punishment.

PETA ARTS Zone Project now enters its second phase, with the launch of Love Does Not Hurt. PETA has been closely working with the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), Department of Education (DepEd), Child Rights Network (CRN), Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) and local government units in promoting positive discipline, mainstreaming this cultural human rights campaign alongside national policy advocacy initiatives to pass a law banning corporal punishment in all settings including the home, schools, the justice system, and in child-caring institutions.

Rated PG: A Peta ArtsZone Project on Positive Discipline

In connection with their advocacy, PETA stages Rated PG. The goal of Peta’s Artzone project is to teach both parents and children about the importance of positive discipline through the arts, hence, that’s exactly what they did.

Many mothers will be able to relate to the play as it challenges audience to change our old ways of thinking when it comes to disciplining children.

I wasn’t able to stay for the entire event but from what I saw, I could already tell that this is one project that will definitely be a lot of help to Filipinos today. Parents and adults need to understand that pinching, spanking and other forms of punishment are not the only ways to get through to your child. Remember the golden rule, “Do unto others what you want them to do unto you.” Stop belittling children and put yourself in their shoes. If you did something wrong by accident, you wouldn’t want your boss to just hit your right? You’d rather talk it out and apologize. And when you’re being rude to your superior, there’s usually a reason behind it too. Same goes for children. If they’re being rude to you, find out what’s wrong instead of just punishing them and shutting them up.

For more information on the PETA Artszone Project,

visit https://www.facebook.com/pages/PETA-ARTS-Zone-Project/

or twitter.com.petaartszone