If our only concern with being mechanech children is to insure they are compliant, then whatever forms of lecture, reward/punishment, etc. may work. However, I shudder when I hear discussion in this vein, because ultimately, tefilah needs to be seen as a privilege, and an opportunity to create and enhance the connection that every Yid has with HKB”H. Allowing it to be a chore, even with full compliance, won’t accomplish that.
We are addressing tefilah as a value, not an action. The best, and probably only successful successful, way to achieve this is by appropriate models. That means us.
Do we portray the yearning to daven?
Do we make it our business to be in shul on time?
Do we abstain from talking and other distractions during davening?
Do we ever show our children that their tefilos are holy and effective?
Do we make frequent reference to the role of tefilah in dealing with the challenges of life?
Do we expose our children to the emotional side of tefilah?
We should eachthink how these questions should be best answered, and then look to implement these in our lives. Then, watch the kids responses.