Disciplining by phone

Every afternoon, my kids call when they get home from school. Some days, even with the babysitter there, they act up mid-conversation. "Garret stop hitting me I'm talking to mommy,'' my oldest will shriek.
Disciplining by phone is challenging. That's why I'm sharing these tips from Cathryn Tobin, author of The Parent's Problem Solver.

• Get his side of the story, Give your child a chance to explain what's going on. This is not an easy thing to do when you're distracted in the workplace.
• Put him on hold. You can't solve major problems over the phone. But you can put them off until you get home. Ask for the immediate behavior you want to see (no more hitting your brother) and if there's a bigger issue going on, add that you will talk more later.
• Relinquish power. Remind your child he needs to listen to whomever is in charge when you are not there.
• Don't make threats. Fear isn't a smart way to control behavior.

Click here to read more on Dr. Cathryn Tobin's website.