I was happy to tackle the question, and with expert input from psychotherapist Alyson Schafer, as well as a couple of parents currently in the "big kid" trenches, I put together this article for the magazine:
http://www.todaysparent.com/kids/school-age/smart-discipline-strategies-older-kids/
And because you know I love to show my byline in print:
Alyson's tips are terrific, though sometimes I want to go completely against her advice and embrace the tough-love Dr. Phil philosophy: figure out what the kids love and use it as leverage, whether the punishment fits the crime or not.
One Twitter reply to this article mentioned that it's missing a discussion of consequences for more serious infractions, and I totally agree. Word count is always my biggest challenge, and this piece only had room for dealing with day-to-day issues and the general evolution of discipline as the kids grow.
As always, I want to thank my sources (Alyson, Sally and "Jessica" - you know who you are!), and I'd love to know what you all think!