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House Rules: Discipline That Works!
Setting and consistently enforcing reasonable house rules is sometimes easier said than done. Get expert tips on how to use house rules to keep yours a home sweet home.
Good for Ages: 4 and up.
Haphazard, "let's try this" approaches to discipline are often doomed to failure, according to Penny Hutchins Paquette and Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, co-authors of Parenting a Child with a Behavior Problem (Lowell House Books). Rather than flailing about in the heat of the moment, the authors argue, parents should actually plan what they'll do when their kids are less than angelic.
When It Works:
House rules are an effective, proactive strategy when children know what the rules are, and what will happen if they are broken. Example: It's a house rule that homework has to be done before the TV goes on. If the homework's not done, you lose TV privileges for a set amount of time.
Why It Works:
It eliminates the need for parents to think on their feet, by making expectations within the household very clear and consistent. It also gives kids a chance to voice their opinions about what the rules should be and how they should be applied. Many families post house rules in a prominent place in the household.
When It Doesn't Work:
House rules fail to improve behavior when adults make them up arbitrarily, with little or no input from children, or when they fail to follow through. If parents ignore a broken curfew, for instance, house rules will cease to have any meaning and kids will ignore them.
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