Parent UP!

"I don't want him to get mad at me."

"It's just not worth the fight."

I often hear these comments from parents who don't want to confront and correct their child's inappropriate behavior, or to enforce rules about a situation. They fear an outburst or drawn-out power struggle.

Guess what? You are the parent. You are the one controlling the situation. You are responsible for teaching your child. I respond to parents with this dose of reality, "deal with it now or deal with it later when it's a larger problem."

I understand the daily strain of raising kids. There were days when I wondered, "ugh, it it worth it?" Then I reminded myself, "I can take care of a small problem now or a big one later." I opted for the small problem.

Do you have a story of successful discipline with your child? Leave your comment here because it may encourage another reader!