This simple principle is so commonly violated. There is no better way to teach a child not to obey than to give him instructions that you have no intention of enforcing. A child quickly learns the habit of disregarding his parents' instruction if there is no authority behind the instructions. Principle Three Biblical discipline is always consistent. The child who is corrected consistently for failing to obey is better adjusted than the child whose discipline is inconsistent or incomplete.
Consistency provides security and freedom.
The child knows what is expected and what is off-limits. In contrast, inconsistency produces insecurity, and because the boundaries are always in question, it stifles a child's learning and his learning potential. Consistency keeps you at the right point at each stage of development. Inconsistency creates too many variables for the child to handle forcing you to do more parenting outside the funnel. Order facilitates healthy growth, not excessive freedom, which leads to develop-mental confusion.