what age do you stop the naughty step?

[TheRepublicOfDreams]

And what comes next?! We fear the usefulness is coming to an end but are unsure where to go from here. We do sometimes use loss of x box or computer but it doesn't nip it straight in the bud for things like excessive silliness that the timeout would.

Help!

Hopeful bump now xfactor has finished!

Sending to rooms/another room? If you're meaning space to calm down kind of thing.

Well if they are running around crazy. Or if repeated me for the same thing. Something to get them to actually think that they should stop answering back/arguing/beating the Shit out of their sibling/hitting me.:(

*repeated naughty step, not me.

Anyone?

How old are they?

Can't remember when we stopped it - prob about 5 I THINK. We used it more when we had less kids - I have found it less effective with the current youngest as the older ones will pull faces/distract etc.

For persistent things with my 7 year old I find a sticker reward chart works well, especially when the chart has a path to follow (eg a rocket trying to get to the moon) and it can go backwards as well as forwards so you are praising when they do listen.

For the oldest kids (9 and 12) I have found having a written set of rules up (only 6 main rules - no hitting, no backchat....etc) helps as you can just point to them. Also I think the whole responsibility/Privelage thing works eg the privelege of staying up later than your siblings comes with the responsibility to use appropriate language in front of your siblings (this one due to my 3 year old learning to say things like "for god's sake" and "stupid idiot") and if you can't manage one, you can't expect the other.

It depends a lot on the child - for my 9 year old, losing screen time will ALWAYS work but my 7 year old wouldn't really care about that.

I guess the over riding thing for me as they get older is more about rewarding the good rather than punishing the bad, choosing your battles (don't sweat the small stuff) and be willing to compromise when appropriate

Naughty step is totally overrated as a teaching tool so I'd ditch it as soon as possible. If they're using an xbox or computer then presumably they're old enough to do chores as punishments - how about a week of doing the washing up??

Thanks for the responses. I like the privledge and chores ideas. Will give them a go and see how we get on!