I find it annoying to play referee. Here’s how I keep my time breaking up fights and enforcing the rules to a minimum.

When the kids are home from school—unless they are at camp all day—they have a lot more opportunities to misbehave in my care. This means that I’m spending more time as a mediator, and, frankly, as a disciplinarian. It isn’t my favorite thing to do, but it goes more smoothly when I have a plan.

Watch this video, above, for tips for dealing with misbehavior. You might also want to read this post, or listen to this podcast.