How To Discipline Your Kids Without Being 'Mean'

Child rearing is not always easy. At times, nagging and scolding your child can do more harm than good in your relationship, especially when at some point, your attempt at discipline makes you out to be the "mean" parent.

There is no exact formula when it comes to raising up your child. Hence, here are some house rules to make parenting a bit easier:

Rule 1: Establish that life is not fair, you get what you get, that's it.

Parenting magazine said that when you give your kids a hard and fast rule that life is not always fair, so instead of fighting over which cupcake had more frosting, or which had the bigger slice of pizza, each child will have to accept that they get what they get instead of fighting about abstract notions like "fairness."

Rule 2: You work, I work.

No child is too fond of chores, but the truth is, most of them really just want to spend as much time as they can with their parents, so if you're doing chores and they're bugging you about other things, let them choose: stay with you but help out, or get them out of the room until you finish what you're doing. You can't force your children to help around the house, but they just might if it means getting to spend time with you, so it's a win-win situation.

Rule 3: Follow the rewards system.

Pick a rewards system that works for your kids --- collecting gold stars, cottonball jars, etc. Once they fulfill their target by doing something nice around the house or by bringing in good grades or schoolwork (depending on your agreement), reward them with your agreed system until they collect all the necessary number for their prize. Let them do a fun activity of their choice, like go bowling with daddy or spend the day at the zoo with mommy.

Disciplining your kid may seem challenging but with all those practical tips, you've got to raise your little ones to become responsible grown-ups the best way you could.