When a policeman gives you a ticket, why do you pay it? Although it would be nice to think adults pay their tickets in order to be responsible or because they're sorry for breaking the law, in actuality adults pay their tickets because if they don't they'll owe even more money or maybe lose their driving privileges or maybe even end up in jail. The ticket is the policeman's "opening move" - not his final word. Similarly, when you give a child a "ticket" (like a time-out, removal of privilege or any other negative consequence), that must be your "opening move." If the child doesn't pay his ticket within a certain time period (i.e. "by the time I count to 10" or "by dinnertime tonight" etc), then the ticket expires and is replaced by "jail" - a far worse negative consequence than the original one. For instance, if your son doesn't go to his room and stay there for the allotted time by the time you count to 10, then he can forget going to the room and instead he will lose T.V. (computer, skating or whatever activity he loves the most in the world) for 24 hours instead.  You can read more details about this method of discipline (called The Two Times Rule) in Raise Your Kids without Raising Your Voice or listen to the download on this site called "The 2X-Rule."

I used a "jail" consequences only once with my son and now he always goes to his room when I send him - it really works!

You can get kids to write out lines or essays or anything using this method. They only need ONE jail-type consequence in order to get them to pay their tickets for years!  (we didn't let our daughter have dessert for her "jail" and she's addicted to sweets and it was very effective!)