"time-outs,” removal of privileges, yelling and spanking."
Most effective: spanking
Least effective: "removal of privileges"
Spankings work best. You never forget your spankings and what you did to deserve it. Time outs don't work, my sister's girls are living proof. The ceaseless whining is enough to make your head explode. I wasn't allowed to whine and now I know why.
My Dad always applied a loving hand hand to the ass. He is still a wonderful Dad!
Least effective: "removal of privileges"
I wanted the spanking as a child. It was over and done and I moved on to getting into trouble over something else. I hated to be grounded and my worst day was the day my dad figured that out!
Spanking is on the 'restricted' list in Canada.
It really depends on the application, and on the child. My mother spanked me almost daily for years, and it did no good. My father spanked me twice, and I still remember both times, what I did, and why I would never do those things again. The difference was that my father was not angry when he spanked me, and he took the time to explain and get me to think about my actions. My mother swooped in from nowhere, angry, and hit, with me never figuring out what exactly I'd done to make her angry (or at least not figuring it out for a long time). The one time my mother made me sit in the time-out chair, I remember. Now, I hadn't done the thing I had to sit there for, but at least I remembered that it was a bad thing and new I'd get in trouble if I ever actually did do it.
I think it's really the inconsistent application of ANY form of discipline that makes it ineffective. How many times in the store do you see a parent with an ill-behaved child, and the parent is telling the child over and over, "Stop that, or you'll get X punishment," but the parent says it 20 times and NEVER follows through? They've taught the kid that they're really just saying, "Stop, or I'll tell you to stop again."