Here is what we did. In our situation my step son wasn't doing his school work, was getting sent out of class more than he was in, he was mouthy, and disrespectful. Our counselor suggested that grounding him for long periods was making him not care because he couln't see and end. So he suggested we have a daily punishment method. We picked a few things he liked to do daily (watch tv, video games, & play with friends outside). Each and every day he woke up he had all of his prilages. If he was mouthy, disrespectful, sent out of class, or didn't do his homework he lost those privlages for that day. We had the teacher write us a small note or email as to how each day went. That way each evening we knew. He was not allowed to slip even a little without paying the price. He knew the next day was a new day and he had a fresh chance to do the right thing. He is very impulsive, but eventually it worked. The stress was much less too.