Read any parenting book and it will probably give you a chapter or two on discipline. Some are very specific and detailed with their lists of what disciplinary techniques to use for which circumstances. I have found, however, that while it is great to have a good variety of discipline techniques in one’s tool bag, it is also important to consider the temperament of the child and to choose discipline that works and fits the individual.
Not every style or philosophy works with every child (or with every parent.) For example, as a busy single parent, I learned long ago that I was not going to have the follow-through to be a very authoritative, closely monitoring parent. At the same token, there are some children who really do thrive with very specific limits and boundaries and they need a strong parenting influence while others need more freedom to experiment and work things out on their own. For some children, a stern look and a disapproving comment are all that is needed while others can be grounded or restricted for a week and still not learn the lesson.
As the parent, it is up to us to figure out what works with which child. This can be a tough one when we are also striving for consistency and fairness within our family. Of course we want to be fair and just across the board and not treat one child differently than another—but it may be that the same exact disciplinary action does not work equally on each child. Then, we have to tailor and adjust our parenting and discipline to fit the crime, the situation AND the individual character and personality of the child involved. We can still be fair and consistent—even if our disciplinary efforts are not entirely identical with each child.