Best Way to Keep a Brat in Check Without Killing the Fun?

I love the push-and-pull dynamic of brat taming, but sometimes, I feel like I go too hard and kill the playful part of it. The fun is in the challenge, right? I’ve realized that instead of just punishing bad behavior, rewarding submission works just as well—giving just enough praise when they finally obey makes them crave more, which flips the power back in my hands. But it’s a balancing act because if I go too easy, the brat just takes over. How do you handle brats without losing control or making it too serious?