Readers Respond: Best Child Discipline Tips

Responses: 4

Your grade-school age child may be growing in many ways, both physically, cognitively and emotionally. But the days of tantrums and meltdowns are not completely behind you, and parent-child clashes are bound to be ahead.

What are your best discipline tips for this age and beyond? Share your tips.

Best Kid Discipline Tips

I always made sure to reward good behavior, as well as bad. For awhile, when my kids were clashing a lot over stupid things - don't touch me! you're touching me! I'm not touching you! - we started a "forgiveness chart." Every time my husband and I spotted them forgiving each other or not getting riled up over something, they got a sticker on the group chart and eventually the stickers added up to something fun, like a DVD and pizza night. Pretty soon the amount of forgiveness in our house had reached smarmy, ridiculous proportions (I most humbly apologize for bothering you. Oh no, not at all, you are more than forgiven - please forgive my outburst. Two stickers!) but dang if it didn't work! Peace reigned, compromise was king, and that continued long after we retired the chart. Now my sister-in-law is using the same technique.

—parentingyoungadults

Best Kid Discipline Tips

I always made sure to reward good behavior, as well as bad. For awhile, when my kids were clashing a lot over stupid things - don't touch me! you're touching me! I'm not touching you! - we started a "forgiveness chart." Every time my husband and I spotted them forgiving each other or not getting riled up over something, they got a sticker on the group chart and eventually the stickers added up to something fun, like a DVD and pizza night. Pretty soon the amount of forgiveness in our house had reached smarmy, ridiculous proportions (I most humbly apologize for bothering you. Oh no, not at all, you are more than forgiven - please forgive my outburst. Two stickers!) but dang if it didn't work! Peace reigned, compromise was king, and that continued long after we retired the chart. Now my sister-in-law is using the same technique.

—parentingyoungadults

Be Consistent

Grade-school children have an incredible talent for catching parents when they aren't being consistent about discipline, and that confuses them. It may be hard to do, but keep to your rules and consequences and it will make it so much easier for your child and you.

—Guest tweenparenting

Kids have to take 'no' for answer

One of the issues I have with my grade school kids is that they want to debate things endlessly. And while you want them to express themselves, they have to know when to stop. So if they ask for something and the answer is no, I don't get too bothered if they ask once more, especially if they have additional info to go with their request. But if the answer is still no, I warn them that they have to accept it now or risk making me feel badgered. And when that happens they will lose privileges. I've found that the older they are, the easier it is for them to resist asking.

—Guest Laureen