How do you discipline your 5-6 yr old?

mylesmomma

Looking for some new ideas here.  We do timeouts for 5 mins in his room, will take away a toy if he's being too rough, etc.  He just lately seems totally unphased by both.  Curious how the rest of you handle your wild child lol!

neverblushed

I try to make the consequence really fit the "crime."  My son just turned 6, and he's generally a pretty well-behaved kid.  Our main issues are:  fighting with or pestering big sister, rude talk, occasionally acting goofy in a public place, and dawdling about getting ready for bed.  This last one is our main "issue" these days.

I find, like StarAnnice above, that taking away privileges is a powerful tool at this age.  The threat of losing video game time is enough to make my son snap out of most bad behavior! 

For fights with big sis, I try not to get involved unless it's verging on physical violence.  If it gets to that point, I try to help them each admit their role in creating the problem, rather than acting as judge and jury and punishing either of them.

If he dawdles getting ready for bed, he's not allowed to read because he already wasted his reading time. 

I find that he's VERY motivated by rewards.  If he wants to have a friend over, I can get him to do a bunch of chores in preparation.  If he wants a toy, he's happy to plug along and earn money towards a purchase, etc.

HTH!

mylesmomma

Thank you.  Our main issue is the fighting between both boys and him having a very sassy mouth (aka telling me no when I ask him to do something). 

neverblushed

That's kind of what we're dealing with too.  Sometimes I resort to the "Gee, I can't hear you when you're talking so rudely.  I bet if you talked in a nice voice, I'd be able to hear you better" line, too.

indigo91804

I too do the "when you are ready to talk to me in the big boy voice, I will listen". My kids fight all the time. I gave up trying to get in the middle except when there is blatant unfairness going on. They usually both end up getting in trouble at that time. They lose video games and fun activities. If I do break up the fighting, I make them hug, say sorry in a meaningful tone and take a "break" which is essentially a time out. And my 5 y/o is motivated by avoiding a all powerful nap. If he is at the end of his rope I make him take a nap which he HATES! So he usually "pulls it together". 

shouldbworkin

We use positive reinforcement (he has a jar of marbles, gets one for doing something good and loses one for not being good, when he fills up the whole jar he gets a special treat), natural consequences, taking away privileges and sometimes TO.  TO is the least effective, but I use it mostly when my kids fight b/c they need some time to chill apart from each other.  He doesn't really sass much, but he is a terrible listener so natural consequences and taking away privileges seem to get his attention best. 

 

shopgirl78

If she gets in trouble its usually for fighting with her brother = separation = TO in respective rooms.  

Another thing we have to get onto her about is whining, usually that can be solved through redirection however if it gets to be too much for me to hear, she goes to her room.

We do also take away time with friends.