How to Effectively Ground a Child or Teenager

Grounding, or removal of liberty, is a commonly-used form of punishment. I'm all for grounding, if done properly. Here's how to effectively ground a child or teen.

* Long groundings are hard to follow through with. Kids are involved in many activities: sports, arts, community and church events, work, school functions. Parents must constantly decide which are included in the grounding. It's also hard because grounding kids is grounding parents. For young kids it might be okay, But with teens, its harder. You have to stay home and "babysit" them. Say you take away the driver's license. You've just shot yourself in the foot. Now YOU need to provide transportation to work, school and events not included in the grounding.


* There's also a point at which grounding (any punishment) has the reverse effect from the desired correction. I call it 'the point of saturation'. For the first few days of grounding, the child may feel remorse for behavior. Whether they admit it or not, kids get why they were grounded, if it was appropriate to the crime. Then kids begin get restless. Resentment sets in. What was initially effective, corrective discipline backfires.


* Age appropriate grounding is vital. Little children put in 'time out' are in effect grounded. At this age, timeout should be timed in minutes. Timeout/ grounding rule of thumb: the older the child the longer the time, up to a certain point. Children under 6 should get two minutes per year (roughly). Ages of six to ten, ground children to yard or house for a few hours to a day.

*  Children should not be grounded from: school field trips, visiting relatives, special interest group activities, sports practices, boy scout camping trips, youth group functions, arts performances. Never withhold meals or other necessities.

* Family outings are case by case. They might be grounded from a special outing with Grandma and Grampa, but I don't advocate it. Find something else to withhold. Grandparents might have a hard time following through. If they don't, you end up the bad guy all around. Also lift the grounding when visiting. It can cause tension and awkwardness that will only have an adverse affect on the desired outcome of the punishment. But family should respect your rules. Everyone has to be on the same page for a grounding to work.

* Only on the rarest occasions should children be grounded from playing with specific children. Only do this if they persistently get in trouble together or if threatens or hurts your child.

* Ground tweens and teens under 16 from specific things and only for a few days. Good things to ground from are: junk food, candy, television, computer, video games, Playstation (Wii, Xbox etc.), iPod, cellphone, internet, party, going to a friend's house, sleepover.


Grounding should be remove privileges not administer harm. For more parenting helps, visit me at www.healthhelp4u.blogspot.com and http://emotionalhealthhelp.blogspot.com and http://heartsmartrelationships.blogspot.com

Outdoor Summer Life Science Activities, Biology Nature Crafts for Kids

Life science, or biology, is an essential school subject. But kids often hate science because it's taught from boring textbooks in meaningless paper-and-pencil activities. Whether you homeschool or not, summer is a great time to explore life science with kids--outdoors, up-close and personal! Rediscover the inherent fascination of life science this summer with hands-on experiments and crafts. Teach green, using recycled supplies.  Outdoor Summer Life Science Activities, Biology Nature Crafts

How Parents Can Manage Free Summer Childcare Plus Teach Kids Accountability

Kids are rejoicing that "school's out for the summer" but parents who face three months without childcare may be singing a different tune. How do you juggle daycare if you can't afford a babysitter (which many work at home parents can't)? You think like a detective and ask who, why, where, when and what. Then based on your answers, you develop a plan for free and low-cost summer childcare.  How Parents Can Manage Free Summer Childcare, Teach Kids Accountability

Free (or Dirt Cheap) Children's Summer Enrichment Activities

Hurrah, summer vacation! Yikes, summer vacation! Why yikes?? As much as we parents enjoy school holiday, it means entertaining children for three long months. And work-at-home parents have to juggle home business and kids every day. Plus, time away from the books can sabotage learning retention. As a teacher, SAHM (stay at home mom), homeschooler, WAHM (work at home mom) and tightwad, I know how to productively occupy kids cheap! Here are free and low-cost summer enrichment activities for children from A-Z.  Free (or Super Cheap) Summer Enrichment Activities for Kids

How Parents Effectively Teach Kids, Putting Learning Theory Into Practice in the Home

I'm a teacher and former homeschool parent. I've explored learning theory inside out and found home an ideal teaching environment. It's best-suited to real-life learning experiences. Parents, you don't have call yourself a "homeschooler." Because parenting IS educating. Here are effective ways to teach children using everyday family activities.How Parents Effectively Teach Kids at Home, Learning Theory Into Practice

Survival Tips for Memorial Day Weekend Travel with Kids, 2.0 Parent Version!

Memorial Day weekend is here. Your family is heading out for a much needed vacation. But wait--traveling with kids--that sounds like more headache than holiday. And it will be, if you don't follow these parent survival tips. Enjoy stress-free car travel with kids. Follow my lead. Parent Survival Tips for Memorial Day Weekend Travel with Kids

Easy, Homemade Mother's Day Party Dads and Kids Can Make

As a 25-year mom of four, I've been the guest of honor at many child-hosted Mother's Day and birthday parties. Our children learned to throw a budget, homemade bash from me and my husband. For a guy, my husband is great at party-planning. Dads, here are tips from the master's knee, on planning an inexpensive Mother's Day party with your kids, that your wife will love!  Dad-Inspired, Kid-Friendly Mother's Day Party, Homemade and Cheap

Children Key to Challenge of Michigan's Same-Sex Marriage Ban

A Michigan federal court is embroiled in the legalities of a state ban on same-sex marriage. At the heart of that debate are three children: 3-year-olds Ryanne and Jacob and 4-year-old Nolan, says Michigan Radio. The children's parents, April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, a lesbian couple living in the metro Detroit burb of Hazel Park, Michigan, would like to legally adopt each other's kids. Marriage would mean they could do that.  Children Key to Challenge of Michigan's Same-Sex Marriage Ban

Fat Tuesday, Pancake Day, Mardi Gras Activities for Families

Mardi Gras, (Fat Tuesday, Pancake Day) anticipates Ash Wednesday and Lent. Although used synonymously with the Carnival ("farewell to the flesh") celebration, Mardi Gras is one day. It is also called "Shrove Tuesday." "Shrove" or "shriven" means to be purged. Here are activities for Fat Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent.
Mardi Gras is the last day of ordinary time before Lent, the 40-day spiritual pilgrimage that follows Christ on his journey through the desert and temptation by Satan. As Jesus was tested and tempted and fasted, Catholics are called to refrain from self-centered practices. The principal virtues of Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. At Ash Wednesday Mass, the first religious event of Lent, the faithful are marked with ashes and told to "turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."  Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and Lent Activities

7 Reasons Kids and Guns in the Home Don't Mix

As the memorial day for slain peace activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. approaches, it's a good time to think gun control. Gun rights are a hot-button topic of debate. Setting aside the rhetoric, let's look at firearms practically, from a parenting perspective. Here are seven reasons not to have firearms when you have kids. Parents, consider these facts carefully. Reasons for Gun Control

How to Work at Home with Sick Kids

Vacation's over; everyone's back to school; you can finally get caught up on work and wouldn't you know it--a child gets sick. Flu season 2012-2013 is shaping up nasty says ABC News, so if you've got kids, plan on them getting ill. How do you get anything done with sick kids? Let this multitasker mom of four and former homeschool parent help. WAHM parents with sick kids

Dinner Tweaks to Help Overweight Kids

The holiday season is notoriously the most difficult time to be on a diet. I can follow my weight loss plan just fine until mid-November. When the stores start touting Thanksgiving and Christmas treats, my resolution dims. For overweight kids, the holidays are especially difficult to navigate. Here are dinner tweaks to help your child stay the course and still enjoy the feasting. Use these food swaps for any dinner time meal preparation. Kids won't even notice the difference! Food Swaps to Help Fat Kids Diet

Parenting Kids With Low Self Esteem

 Have you ever wondered what goes on inside the head of a person with low self-esteem? If you're experiencing low self-esteem for the first time, it can be pretty scary. If you've not experienced negative self-image, it's hard to imagine why those of us who have behave as we do. If you're parenting a child with self esteem issues, it's even more challenging. Kids struggle with communication as it is. To explain negative emotions to a parent can be overwhelming. Here are coping tips. Read more

How I Set Work-at-Home Boundaries with Myself and Family

I've been a WAHM (work-at-home-mom) since 2005. There are advantages to working at home. I see more of my family, I'm readily available. I don't have to go out to work every day. Oddly, those advantages are closely related to the disadvantages. Work-at-home perks caused many problems before I learned to set boundaries. Here's how. Read more

Sandy Hook Elementary, Conn. School Shooting Prompts Kids' Emotional Health Concerns

School shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut on December 14, 2012  have claimed the lives of 27 people, including 18 children. A gunman, reportedly a parent, opened fire killing many little ones, mostly of kindergarten age. Along with child safety concerns, I worry, as always, about the emotional toll such an incident has on kids. This article was written on the anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007 when 32 students and faculty were killed. I've listed a few resources for parents. Mister Rogers always said, in times of crisis, to "Look for the helpers. There will always be helpers." Let kids know you love them and will help them. Follow the example of this brave woman in the picture to the left. She's comforting kids and keeping them together. She must be terrified, yet she's  staying calm for the little ones. Kids need to be reminded that you will do your best to keep them safe. As a praying mom, I advise parents to call upon their higher power and teach kids to do likewise. Recognizing a higher power helps kids feel they're not alone. Read more

Trim Costs on Kids' Christmas Presents

I like the holidays, but honestly, Christmas expenses dim some of the joy. Shopping for four kids, my holiday spending can quickly get out of hand. When I overspend, this Mommy Santa grows less jolly with each incoming bill. Debt-ridden is no way to start the new year. Here are penny-pinching tips to keep kids' Christmas present costs under control.  read more

Making Kids Thanksgiving Helpers (not Hindrances!)

In holiday party preparation, children may be more of a hindrance than a help. Parents may find Thanksgiving not so thankful and Christmas not so merry if they're juggling shopping, cooking, party planning, housecleaning and childcare. Here are ways kids can help with holiday party planning. Tips work for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year's Day, and any party year-round.  Read more

Parent coping tips for teen anger and mood swings

Clinical teen depression is relatively uncommon, but tell that to parents of teens and they may not agree. I certainly wouldn't have. Bouts of moodiness are hallmarks of teen behavior and one of the most worrisome for parents. Here's a parent survival kit for dealing with teen mood swings.  Parent coping tips for teen anger and mood swings

How to talk and listen to your teen

"We need to talk." Hearing those words makes me nervous. I don't know whether it's the faint implication of censure, the possible portent of bad news or just the fear of the unknown, but I get edgy when someone says that to me. Kids get nervous, too. Here are parenting tips on talking to teens so everyone feels comfortable.  To read the article, click here How to listen to your teen. (Please note: there are several errors in this article and I apologize for that. I'm not sure, but I think they're happening when I transfer the article from WORD to the template I'm using.)

Simple life parenting: Teaching kids how to slow down

Whenever I ask fellow parents how they are, the first answer is always "busy." Parents are under a lot of pressure from work, family, school and community. It's easy to get so caught up in our busy lives that we forget to live. We disconnect from spouses and kids because we're stuck in a too-fast lifestyle. We complain that kids are too busy, but they learn from our example. Here are ways parents teach kids, by example, how to slow down. Simple life parenting: Teaching kids how to slow down