I'm terrible at follow through. I'll set a consequence and then not actually enforce it because I feel bad or I'm tired. My 9yo has figured this out and now does whatever because he knows I'll cave. My wife is actually the consistent one which makes me look bad. How do you guys stay firm when your kid is upset with you or crying? I know it matters but it's hard.
The guilt is real but kids actually need consistent consequences. They test boundaries and feel more secure when there are actual limits. You're not being mean by enforcing what you said.
Try starting with smaller consequences that are easier for you to enforce. Like if it's something you know you'll actually do, you'll build momentum and it gets easier to be consistent overall.
Same problem here man. I'd threaten to take away screen time and then feel bad and let them watch YouTube anyway. Started writing down the rules and consequences where my kids could see them. Made it easier to actually follow through because it wasn't just me being arbitrary.
Have you tried giving them a choice within the consequence? Like 'you can either lose your tablet for tonight or help clean the kitchen'. Might feel less harsh and they feel like they have some control.
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What kind of stuff are you struggling to enforce? The specific situations might make a difference in what approach would work better.