Consistency: The #1 Rule of Successful Discipline

Kids won’t obey? Find out why having consistent rules with a certainty that they will be enforced is a better approach for children.

“Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.” - Proverbs 29:17

When I was a child, my mother used a discipline technique where she would count to three. If she got to three, and we had not obeyed yet, we would be in big trouble. The funny thing is, between my other five siblings and me, none of us actually remember her getting to three. In fact, I rarely remember her getting to two. We usually stopped whatever mischief we were doing on the count of one. Why? Because we knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that if we disobeyed, we would DEFINITELY be in big trouble. All six of us knew my mother meant business!

The secret to getting your children to obey is to embed in their little heads that when you give a command, you mean business! You don't ignore disobedience; and you don’t give multiple warnings. Instead, you GET UP AND DO SOMETHING to make sure your instructions are followed. Your children must be conditioned to know if yo