>> Nagging is ineffective

Nag, nag, nag. Have you noticed that no matter how much you nag your kids to do something, it seldom works? And if a parent nags constantly, the relationship with his or her children will surely be strained. Some parents claim to be in a “nagging rut” with their children over the same issue every day. Perhaps it’s the clothes left on the floor, chores not completed, the pet not fed or homework not begun or finished.

Instead of being a nag, try a more effective method. The first step is to remove yourself from the battlefield: Announce to your children that you will not nag them over a specific issue. You’re done being the chore cop or the homework police. Instead, there will be a consequence when they don’t comply with what you used to nag about. For example, if your child doesn’t complete a chore on time, do it for her and charge a fee or assign an additional unpopular chore. For homework issues, ask your child’s teacher(s) to send you a note or e-mail anytime a homework assignment was not turned in on time. For each assignment not completed, the child will be grounded the following day or weekend. The consequence should always be more of a hassle than the original request. Be creative.