Regardless of the age of your child, there is one golden rule to be followed. Be consistent in your discipline. If you tend to give in after your child argues, throws a fit or begins to cry, they will take note of this and repeat it in the future.

When disciplining your child, you need to make sure that they know what they did was wrong and why it was wrong.

Get down to eye level with your child and speak to him or her calmly. Explain to them the situation (if need be) and the course of action you plan to carry out due to their misbehavior.

Every child is different, and so the discipline you instill will also be different. If they tend to watch TV a lot, take their TV away. If they have a favorite toy they love to carry around, take that away. Time out is also a great form of discipline, especially if no talking is permitted during it.

You want to avoid criticising your child too much. Explain to them that you still love them and are simply unhappy with their current behavior.

Always encourage your children to apologize. If your child hits his or her sibling, take them aside and talk to them calmly. Let them know that they hurt their little brother/sister and that they should be there to protect them and take care of them. Make your child feel as if they have an important role in the well being of their sibling. Top it off with a mandatory hug between the two.

For older children, confiscating well-loved or well-used possessions is the best course of action. For teenage boys, confiscate their console systems or their shoes. For teenages girls, confiscate cell phones, clothes, makeup etc. I remember my mother getting fed up with my siblings and I (for constantly throwing our clothes on the floor), and so she took all our clothes except for our pajamas, school clothes, and one pair of house clothes.

Be sure to explain to your teenager that you love them as well and only want the best for them. Rewards and praise their good behavior but don't overdo it (you don't want your words to lose credibility). Before you tell them "no" make sure you have a reason to back it up. Even if that reason is "I would like to spend some time with you". Many arguements and screaming-fits could be avoided if the words "because I said so" were also avoided. Even if they are 100% true.