If the standard time outs or removal of privileges simply don’t work when you need to correct your child, then it is time to get creative. Creative discipline is simply a way to think differently about how to correct your child. That said, any discipline should always be tied to the behavior in question so that the message comes through loud and clear to your child. Here are eight ideas for creative discipline.
- The missing door. You may actually have heard of this creative disciplinary action. If your child repeatedly slams his door when upset, despite your repeated requests not to do so, simply and calmly take the door off of its hinges. Keep the door off until your child acts respectfully.
- The late driver’s license. If your teen balks at wearing a seatbelt, simply add an extra day past their sixteenth birthday before they can take their driver’s test each time they groan about wearing a seatbelt.
- The waiter. If your kids are slow to come to the table for dinner, make it a rule that the last child has to serve the food and pour the drinks. But for the order of arrival to count, your kids hands need to be clean and they must be properly dressed.
- The thrift store trip. If your child continually forgets to put away his toys then round them up and take him with you as you go to a thrift store to donate the items, reminding him that if he doesn’t appreciate his toys then someone else will.
- The bad music. If your kids are too loud or if they make rude noises that you’d rather not hear, then each time they do so make them sit down and listen to some type of music that they hate whether oldies, country or Disney tunes.
- Night time chores. If your kids continue to put off chores, especially outdoor ones such as mowing the lawn or emptying the trash, make them do them at night. This is especially effective if they are just going to bed since you can casually mention “Oh, I just realized you haven’t taken out the trash. Well, that needs to happen before you can go to sleep.”
- Miss an event. Maybe your child belongs to a sports team or a dance group or other entity but continually forgets an important item such as a baseball glove or dancing shoes and you end up driving back home to pick up the pieces. Next time your child forgets something just let them miss the event. To be fair, make a checklist for you child to review before leaving the house.
- The job jar. Put scraps of paper with a chore such as folding laundry, emptying the trash or cleaning the cat litter box listed on each one in a jar. Each time your child acts inappropriately have him draw a chore from the jar. An option is to include a “mercy” piece of paper in the jar in case you want an opportunity to explain the concept of mercy.
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