Do you ever wonder if you're giving the right consequences? Perhaps you don't feel like it's having an effect on your child's behavior. And are natural consequences for children always the best thing? The experts at Empowering Parents explain the right way to give consequences to your child and teen—and the importance of giving rewards.
If you’re having trouble giving effective consequences to your teen, know that you are not alone. Many parents tell me that nothing seems to work and that coming up with the right thing for their child can seem like an impossible task. If you’re the parent of an adolescent, you may have grounded your child, taken... Read more »
What is the best consequence to use for a particular behavior? This is probably the most common question we receive during our online parent coaching sessions. Parents wonder which consequences to use, how to set them up effectively, and how long to give them. A great way to start figuring out the right consequences for your situation... Read more »
Do you have a kid who doesn't care about consequences? If so, this dad's story probably sounds more than familiar to you: “I’ve done everything I can think of to get my teen to follow just the simple rules. I took away his Xbox. I unplugged the TV and removed the cord. The internet was shut off indefinitely (thank goodness I still have my... Read more »
Does your child ignore every consequence you give him? James Lehman can help with 10 specific ways to make consequences work—even for the most resistant child. When kids are faced with something unpleasant, they'll often act like it doesn't matter to them. When your child says, “I don't care,” or seems unaffected when you give him... Read more »
Do you ever feel like the consequences you give your child aren’t working—and that he’s just not listening? Giving consequences is more difficult than people realize sometimes, so don’t beat yourself up if you feel like you’ve been missing the mark. There’s really no perfect way to do it—some consequences are simply more effective than... Read more »
You can’t punish your child into better behavior. Forget about over-the-top punishments or ineffective rules because you'll just end up in a power struggle. The right consequences actually motivate your child to good behavior. They put you back in control and teach your child how to problem-solve, giving your child the skills needed to be... Read more »
When families call parent coaching, just about every call we get involves a question about consequences. Many parents struggle to find effective consequences while overlooking the importance of using rewards. We recommend establishing rewards or "incentive systems" for kids, which can be done easily using a behavior chart. Behavior charts are important to consider for several... Read more »
Many parents wonder what the difference is between a bribe and a reward. After all, in both instances, your child is getting something for doing what you want him to do. But when is this helpful in teaching him better behavior, and when is it harmful? parent coach, Erin Schlicher explains. “I’ll give you an Xbox if... Read more »
Why is using exercise as a punishment ineffective? What's wrong with having kids run laps, or do some push-ups? There are frequent news stories about childhood obesity, so why don’t we recommend using exercise as a way to address acting-out behavior? Let’s talk for a moment about the difference between consequences and... Read more »
Harsh punishments are not effective for improving a child's behavior. Instead, they only create resentment. If you punish your child too harshly, he will only be thinking about his anger toward you and not about the consequences of his actions. Harsh punishments will only lead him to think that you are unreasonable and unfair. Unfortunately, this... Read more »
