The Lord delights in working in our own hearts as we strive to be responsible, loving, godly parents. We can look to Him for help in being consistent and reasonable in our expectations, too.
Failure often results from a lack of parental consistency or from unrealistic expectations.
Here are some helpful tips gleaned from Andrew Murray's excellent book, How To Raise Your Children For Christ. If you secure obedience to one, your own and the child's consciousness of your power to rule is established. Don't command what you cannot enforce or what the child has not the power to obey. Prove your authority when it is easy for you to secure obedience and for the child to render it. In all learning we proceed from the easy to the less easy.