You Can’t Put Them in Time-out. You Can’t Take Away Their Car Keys.
So, how can you effectively discipline your tween?
Once children reach the age of 10 or so, they begin to change. Not so much physically (that’ll come later) but rather in their attitudes and interests, which start edging closer to those of an adult — with their own preteen spin. This usually requires parents to rethink and retool their approach to how they address and discipline their children’s behaviors.
Practical Discipline Strategies for the Tween Years
The parenting experts at Boys Town understand that the tween years can bring new challenges—shifting attitudes, growing independence, and evolving behavior. That’s why they’ve developed this email series to give you a clear, supportive roadmap for navigating this stage with confidence. Each week, you’ll gain valuable insight into how to use skill-teaching, role-play practice, and consistent positive and negative consequences to shape behavior in a way that builds respect and responsibility.
You’ll also learn practical tips for setting boundaries that your tween understands and respects, along with strategies for communicating expectations so there’s no confusion about rules or consequences. By applying these proven approaches, you can create a home environment that encourages cooperation, mutual respect, and a stronger parent–child relationship—helping your tween grow into a confident, capable teen.
Get your first lesson today by telling us where we can send it.
Each week, you’ll receive information and advice about tween issues and discipline, as well as a teaching activity and a social skill that you and your child can work on together to strengthen your relationship.
Here are some of the lessons we’ll cover:
- Dealing with Defiance
- Peer Pressure
- Setting Expectations and Boundaries
- Positive Consequences