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Home › Articles › Discipline › Discipline Ideas That Really Work

Discipline Ideas That Really Work

How to Teach Your Kids Without a Power Struggle

By Armin Brott

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6. Cut Down on Warnings
If the child knows the rules (at this age, all you have to do is ask), impose the promised consequences immediately. If you make a habit of giving six preliminary warnings and three "last" warnings before doing anything, your child will learn to start responding only the eighth or ninth time you ask.

7. Link Consequences Directly to Problem Behavior
And don't forget – clearly and simply – to explain what you're doing and why: "I'm taking away your hammer because you hit me," or "I asked you not to take that egg out of the fridge, and you didn't listen to me. Now you'll have to help me clean it up."

8. No Banking
If you're imposing punishments or consequences, do it immediately. You can't punish a child at the end of the day for something (or a bunch of things) he did earlier – he won't associate the undesirable action and its consequence.

9. Keep It Short
Once the punishment is over (and whatever it is it shouldn't last any more than a minute per year of age), get back to your life. There's no need to review, summarize or make sure the child got the point.

10. Stay Calm
Screaming, ranting or raving can easily cross the line into verbal abuse that can do long-term damage to your child's self-esteem.

11. Get Down to Your Child's Level


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