Consequences without prevention is cruel, consequences without guidance will be ineffective. The core of effective discipline is guidance. Teaching children what is right and what is wrong, helping them learn how to take responsibility for their actions and how to relate positively with others are the fundamental goals of responsive discipline. This division represents how difficult it might be, in general, to actually use the tool effectively. Of course, a lot depends on the child and the experience of the parent.
Ages given for each tool are approximations only.
Study the basic tools first. As you become more comfortable with these tools, return to these pages and focus on those at an intermediate level, and finally, advanced. Do not try to learn all of these tools at one time. Clicking on the tool will take you to a description of that tool and at least one example of its use. Unpleasant consequences may be necessary if all efforts to use prevention and guidance fail to change a child's repeated acts of misbehavior.