No matter how much we’d like to believe our kids are perfect, the stark truth is that none of them are.

Now, I’m not suggesting the majority of parents aren’t doing their jobs – far from it – merely that childhood is a steep learning curve, one in which virtually all participants will make mistakes they’ll look back on and regret.

Perhaps what matters most when such things occur isn’t what has actually happened but rather how said child learns from it and moves on.

It’s precisely for this reason that we introduce the concept of punishment early: a kid does something wrong and they’re forced to suffer the consequences of said act. It’s teaches them a simple lesson and, hopefully*, they don’t do that same thing again.

Of course, punishments can vary in degrees, ranging from a metaphorical slap on the wrist to methods that the offending child won’t likely forget.