No matter how much we want to think our kids are perfect, the truth is that none of them are.

I’m not saying most parents aren’t doing a good job—most are—but childhood is a time for learning, and all kids will make mistakes they might regret later.What’s most important is not just what happens, but how the child learns from those mistakes and grows from them.

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.