Spare the rod, spoil the child

[Clueless Morgan]

Honestly I don't know how to get my nieces to actually do something without getting rough with them, though that's probably more a sign that I don't relly know how to deal with unruly children. They won't go sit in a corner, and if I take their stuff they just keep whining to get it back. Like when one niece kept dropping her tablet on the ground because her hands were full of other stuff. I took the tablet and told her she would have to choose to hold the stuffed cat or the tablet. Instead she just kept whining to get the tablet back until my mom told me to return it. In her defense, though, they were actually about to leave the house and the niece was allowed to take the tablet to the car.

I have no experience with kids, either, (it's like training a dog, though, right? :p) but if you take something away from them as a punishment (like a privileged item (a tablet or gaming console that isn't vital to their survival) or activity (like going to the movies with friends)) and then ten minutes later give it back to them because they're whining, all they learn is that if they whine long enough, loud enough and annoyingly enough then they'll get their stuff back.

IMO, if they were about to leave and her tablet had to go home with her, I would have given the tablet to the parent or person returning them home and tell them that it was taken away because she was disobeying and that it would be a good idea to not return it to her until the next day, or until she stops acting up. Then it's out of your hands and if they give it back to her right away they have to reap the consequences because you followed through with your punishment - you did not give the tablet back.

You can still be the bringer of fun while maintaining discipline and reinforcing positive behaviors. Those things aren't antithetical.