Spare the rod, spoil the child

Having watched numerous Dr Phil episodes, I am appalled that many parents continue to enable their children's bad behaviour and just nag at them, only to repeat the vicious cycle and later resent their children for being "out of control".

"Repeating the same behaviour and expecting different results is insanity."

Give a warning and assign direct consequences for each negative behaviour. Take away their privileges. Let your child experience failure in a controlled situation. Let them experience a little pain and suffering and they will learn to appreciate what they had. They will survive and learn independence. Give them the chance to grow rather than stifle their development and cover up their mistakes.

Don't wait till they become adults to try and reverse your method of upbringing. It will take years to undo all that you have conditioned them to do.

You don't reward negative behaviour.

Code word: B.F. Skinner. Operant conditioning.