: How to be Successful as a College Student

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It may sound like an unattainable goal. Enforce rules with your teenager without a million and one arguments. The following are some tips for achieving this lofty goal.
Make the rules simple
First it is important that the rules of the house are clear. A lot of arguments stem from the fact that there is miscommunication about what the teen is and is not permitted to do. If your teen constantly tries to argue with you that you said one thing when you know you said another then keep the rules written down on some paper so that you can refer back to them. Also the rules should be fair and realistic. If you make them so tight and restrict them in ways that no one else does, then you might be in store for more arguments.
Be consistent in your enforcing of the rules
A large part of enforcing rules successfully is to be consistent. If you sometimes enforce them and sometimes do not, then many teens will take advantage of the situation. A lot of parents do not like to argue with their teenagers and might give in when this starts. The children will learn that arguing equals success and thus this will happen more. If you say that there is a consequence to a behavior, then that is it. If he or she does the behavior, then the consequence happens, period. Do not “threaten” consequences that you have no intention of following through with.
Be very calm when enforcing the rules
Do not allow your teen to get you into an argument. A lot of teenagers will goad you into it. If they break a rule, then the consequence comes into play, end of story. If they start to yell and shout, you should remain calm. They may want to go back and forth with you. Instead you can just say “There is nothing to discuss. The rule is this. The consequence is this. You broke the rule and so this is what is happening.” If they try to argue further you can say that you are done arguing about the point. If they persist then you can have a further consequence for belaboring the point.
Be open to discussions with your child
If your child is unhappy about a rule or something, then it is certainly okay to allow a discussion if you think his or her points are valid. Let them know that they can come to you. Try to make your relationship one of calm dialogue and not arguments.
Enforcing the rules without argument can be achieved. The above tips can help you reach this goal.
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