Okay, okay, the title may be a wee bit deceiving. In reality, consistency is key. That fact can't be disputed. Once your children know that you'll follow through with what you say and that every misbehavior will be met with a reliable consequence, you'll find yourself with very well behaved children.

Too bad that's more difficult to do than it sounds! I mean, when I FINALLY sit down on the couch to read for 15 minutes with an ice cold glass of Diet Coke do I REALLY want to deal with the fact that I just heard my six year old call his sister "stupid" while playing in the basement? Wouldn't it be so much easier to just pretend I didn't hear it? Or....maybe I could just yell, 'I HEARD THAT!! YOU KNOCK IT OFF!!" really loudly. But do I REALLY have to get up, go downstairs, quietly remove the child while explaining the reason for his upcoming punishment? Yeah. I do.

But you all know that, right? Nothing new there. However, the fun little secret I've found is INCONSISTENCY. It must be used sparingly or it doesn't work. But when used with care, it's great for building relationships by injecting humor and letting mom be "one of the crew" for a bit.

Here's how it works. Out of the blue, mom does something totally inconsistent and out of character. For example, if I can tell one of my children is struggling with a workbook problem (we homeschool) and is starting to get upset, I might watch as she/he gets the right answer and then, with much ado, fall out of my chair in shock and awe. This generally sends everyone into a fit of giggles and lightens the mood. There may be a few more "fall-outs" that morning so everyone has a turn. Soon the kids are happily doing their work, waiting to see if they can shock mom out of her chair.

I'm generally not one for potty-talk. However, my oldest boys (now graduated) still remember when we were studying Indians. We were to choose Indian names for ourselves. My oldest had a cold and needed to wipe his nose (which grossed me out). I quite seriously dubbed him, Running Snot Nose. This so surprised the boys that they cracked up and we immediately bestowed less than flattering names on everyone in the family. I think mine had something to do with Big Feet.

I also, on occasion, will burp VERY loudly (yes, this is totally out of character for me). I generally look around and act shocked as I blame it on a nearby child. (They tell me I need to stop saying, "excuse me" before I do that.) lol

In the middle of a school day (when your children are being good) try saying, "You know what? I wanna go to the movies! Let's go!" Now, you may know you were going to do that - but they don't. They LOVE the spontaneity. And, as simple as it may be, it's something they'll remember for years, just because it was so unexpected.

Like I said, inconsistency, used sparingly, is a powerfu tool!

For more Works For Me Wednesday tips visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.