“Spare the rod, spoil the child” has made some people leery because of abuse. You can take it to mean a beating or spanking, but it is really about discipline – effective discipline – that helps your child listen and learn.

I’ve added two downloadables for this category.

What type of disciplinary tactics do you use for your child? Are they effective?

If you have more than one child, do you use the same or different tactics? Do they work?

Is your child assigned age-appropriate chores? Why or why not?

Is there a reward or praise attached? Why or why not?

When the Going Gets Tough

If you ever had occasion to use tough love, evaluate your reasoning.