Let’s face it disciplining a defiant teen is challenging. Because parents often feel powerless when it’s two hours past curfew,  we can be flooded with a whole array of emotions. At this point we are not thinking clearly. This is why it’s so easy to” lose it”, but “losing it” is not an effective discipline. We may be “letting them have it” but there will be no lesson learned, except how to lose control.

It’s important to get back to the basics. What is the point of discipline and what makes it effective?

Discipline comes from the Latin word disciplina, which meant “instruction given, teaching, learning, and knowledge. This means that empowered discipline is about equipping, guiding, teaching, motivating, and ultimately empowering your teen.

Implementing effective discipline is only possible when you are calm and clear. This takes time. At the moment you learn about her BIG mistake you are definitely not clear or calm. You feel betrayed, disrespected, angry, panicked, and hurt. You may need to wait a day or two to get clear.

Effective discipline is strategic. It’s so much more than grounding.

See the question you need to ask is not “How could she do this to me” but “What does my teen need to learn?”

Remember your teen is a work in progress and though she may look like an adult her brain is under major reconstruction and she still needs your guidance and instruction. Teens are hard-wired to make errors in judgment.

This episode will give you discipline strategies and equip you with four potent parenting tools. Don’t give up mom. Your teen needs you.

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