Disciplining children is a contentious issue. Where some parents prefer a strict approach, others may decide to get creative or prefer to use methods that are more lax.

There are many reasons to get creative when it comes to teaching your children some discipline. Plenty of research shows that older discipline techniques might actually be counter-productive. Children and teenagers need to be ready to face consequences in the real world, because for adults those consequences are inescapable.

Some parents decide to discipline their children over a broken rule, in order to help them change a bad habit or overall demeanor. Depending on your child or teenager's personality, some measures of discipline might not be as effective, while others might be too harsh.

So what's a parent to do? Perhaps you're reading this because other methods you've tried haven't worked. You may feel you haven't had much of a reason to discipline your child, but need a few pointers so you can feel ready for anything. Here are a few creative ways to discipline your child while remaining empathetic and having fun. Oh, and also a few things Angelina Jolie does—because celebrity parents are still parents.

21 Messy Kid? Put Their Toys Behind Bars

Getting children to pick up after themselves can be difficult sometimes. Parents eventually get tired of nagging their toddler or child to finally pick up after themselves. So what's one to do after losing patience?

iMom suggests putting your child's toy away for some time. This could consist of putting it somewhere that's hard for them to reach for a few days, putting it in a "rainy day" box, and in drastic cases, putting the toy in "jail" for a few days.

20 Be Strategic With Your Time-Outs

Disciplining toddlers is especially tricky. It's important to instill good manners in them while watching your tone. Though yelling or shouting may be tempting, it could confuse your toddler or hurt their feelings.

Instead, it could help to give them a time-out in a quiet and relaxing place. According to an article, if you did happen to yell, you can do the time-out together silently.

This can have the added advantage of teaching your toddler that adults are also expected to behave.

19 Have Them Hug A Tree

Can't get your child to want to do yard work? Make them hug a tree. This isn't conventional, but a Buzzfeed commenter revealed that her parents asked her to do this after she kept trying not to help out with the backyard.

It turns out the family had over 30 trees, and the commenter spoke of having to hug them one by one. While this may seem odd, it is a strategy that is both gentle and unorthodox.

18 Make Them Choose Their Punishment

If your child is at an age where they can understand what punishments are, it might be a good idea to have them choose a fitting form of discipline.

According to Scary Mommy, some children may also be harder on themselves than you would have been.

Plus, this takes the onus of discipline off you. After all, it's hard for loving parents to reprimand their child even if their behavior warrants it. But hey, some time to reflect can help your child be an empathetic and gentler person.

17 Listen To Them

Not all kids commit a serious infraction. It may help to listen to your child discuss why they feel angry or annoyed about having to do something. This can especially help toddlers and young children know you're listening to their concerns.

After your child is done talking, you can explain why their behavior was unacceptable. Young children often need to learn social conventions and acceptable behavior, and listening to them is an excellent way to explain certain concepts. Plus, you can thank them for trying their best.

16 Arrange A Chore Jar

According to iMom, a chore jar is a great way to discipline your child if they're being disrespectful or defiant. Some chores can include taking out the trash, defrosting the fridge, or even cleaning out weeds in the garden.

Not only will this keep your house clean and your child occupied, but it'll also instill discipline in a gentle manner.

It can also teach children that there's always a cure for boredom. After all, organizing pots and pans is sure to distract your kids if there's a whiff of complaint!

15 Use A Clown

Many parents deal with a teenager that may not always show up before their curfew. Lifetree suggests using a curfew clown in order to get them to remember what time they should show up. The concept is simple: sneak a scary clown mask into your child's room if they're late.

Chances are they'll let you know when they've arrived. Once they get over the initial shock you can explain that curfews are meant for their safety, and the clown embodies a milder version of how you feel when they're not on time.

14 Remove The Door From Its Hinges?

Some people (ie. teenagers), don't always know what to do with their newfound freedom. They may forget about certain responsibilities as they explore the world around them with more flexibility. Parents sometimes knock on their teen's door only to find that they haven't completed certain tasks.

Though this may be a bit of a last resort, according to iMom, removing the door from its hinges can be effective.

For one, you won't have to nag them to clean their room or complete another chore. They can have their privacy back once they've shown they've changed their ways.

13 Come Up With A Sensible Plan For Restitution

Older children and teenagers often make sincere mistakes as they go about their day. According to VeryWell Family, coming up with amends for certain behaviors might be effective. After all, adults often have to do this without having someone help them find their way.

This may mean getting a summer job in order to pay for something broken or apologizing to a teacher or other individual. Taking on extra chores or helping with siblings can also be another form of restitution for a mistake or lapse in proper behavior.

12 Give Them A Chance For Reduction

Not every child or teen reacts the same way after they've been punished. Where some children might never see the error of their ways, others may learn much faster. This can be helpful if you choose to ground your child.

According to VeryWell Family, some ideas for this reduction could include a more difficult task, such as volunteering or sorting through the garage.

Plus, knowing exactly how long to ground a child can be tricky. Giving them a chance for a reduction can help you see how long your child needs in order to learn their lesson.

11 Buy Them The Candy Bar

According to a comment on Thought Catalog, a former Blockbuster manager saw a very creative punishment for a whiny child. The child kept insisting that they wanted candy, and their mother refused. However, the child simply grabbed a candy bar and opened it, saying that now mom would have to pay for it.

To the commenter's surprise, the mother bought the candy bar and then asked him to throw it away. We can understand why this former manager never forgot this story!

10 Let Nature Take Its Course

Not all discipline will come from home.

As your child goes to school, the playground, and explores their world, they may end up facing consequences for something they did (or didn't do) in these spaces.

Perhaps your child's teacher came up with a fitting punishment for not completing homework or for insolent behavior. Whatever the circumstance may be, your child may feel guilty enough thanks to the natural consequences of their actions. If your child is upset at the natural course of things, you can always discuss this with them.

9 Practice Accountability

According to Mom Junction, accountability isn't always about punishment.

Instead, it's about helping your child understand right and wrong during a given time.

This means discussing choices in the present, listening to their opinions, and teaching them to prevent bad behavior. The point is to get your child to understand why some rules and societal norms exist. This is also one of the most challenging ways to instill discipline because it also requires you to remain accountable yourself and listen to your child with interest.

8 Use A Reward System

How well this can work depends widely on your child's age. For toddlers, The Asian Parent suggests allowing your child to play with a toy for doing something good. For older children, you can let them sleep a bit later on a designated evening as a reward for good behavior.

Teenagers can earn privileges if they've behaved exceptionally well, too! After all, even though doling out discipline is important, recognizing your child's good behavior can help build them up. Like anything else, these rewards can be lost in case of bad behavior.

7 Time Away From Their Friends

There are times when your child might misbehave because of friends. Maybe a friend isn't a good influence on them, or they were the bad influence in that instance. Taking time away from friends because of a decision involving them might make them think twice in the future.

This form of discipline doesn't have to last long. Even canceling an evening outing or plans for the weekend just once might have the desired effect according to VeryWell Family.

Like anything else, length depends on your child's personality and the nature of the infraction.

And here are a few disciplinary methods Angelina uses...

6 She's Already Established That They Can't Drink At Home — Ever

Angelina Jolie's children are still far too young to drink. But according to The Richest, she's already established that they're not allowed to drink at home — even when they become of age. Jolie has apparently banned the substance at home.

Though this sounds extreme, it seems this is a reaction to her acrimonious divorce from ex-husband, Brad Pitt. There might be a time when she changes her mind. For now, it seems this rule is in the Jolie home to stay.

5 Every Child Must Learn A Language

Though this doesn't seem to be tied to any negative or positive behaviors, Angelina Jolie expects all of her children to learn a second language. According to Baby Gaga, each child was allowed to choose the language of their choice.

Learning a language is certainly a good way to teach children some discipline. The consistent practice required to perfect it can help them develop good habits.

The Telegraph even reports that many studies prove that speaking two or more languages has many cognitive benefits.

4 They're Involved In Her Humanitarian Efforts

Jolie is recognized across the world for her humanitarian efforts. According to The Richest, her children often tag along for her trips. These may include a gala dinner, fundraiser, or work on site.

To many parents, this might even sound great. Not everyone has the opportunity to lecture their children about how privileged they are and be able to truly show them why. Though not much has been reported about how the children might feel about this, sources say they must eat local foods. Even bugs.

3 Each Child Gets 'Mommy-Time'

According to BabyGaga, each child gets designated 'mommy-time' with Jolie.

With such a large family, Jolie spends time with each child on their own once in a while in order to strengthen their bond.

Many children in large families probably would've wanted this type of attention, right? This rule definitely seems sweet and appropriate considering the many demands of life as a celebrity, humanitarian, and regular human being. However, we can imagine that mommy-time might feel like a punishment after an argument.

2 Life Must Be As Normal As Possible

If you're the child of any celebrity, your life already isn't normal. Despite this, Angelina Jolie does what she can to pretend her life is as normal as possible, according to BabyGaga. So how does this instill discipline, you ask?

It turns out her children would rather be eccentric. One of her children, Maddox, even pointed out that given their trips and lavish lifestyle, the family already isn't normal. Jolie mentions that she's trying to be a better homemaker, and this is probably what she means by "normal."