I’m a yeller and I have to admit, that is one thing I really hate about myself. Not only does it make me feel bad, it makes the kids feel bad and it really doesn’t do a darn thing when you are trying to discipline a situation and you are yelling your way through it. More times than not, it either gets the kids yelling or they tune you out altogether. The worst is when you yell in the morning before school. That is something I have really tried to not do. I don’t want to start my day like that and neither do they.
Unfortunately though, there comes a time when we need to discipline. Usually our go-to is to take away ALL electronics. So no television, no video games, no computer…but it started to become apparent that they didn’t care. We even had one instance where one of the kids shrugged their shoulders, grabbed a book and then proceeded to read for awhile. Now I know it’s great that they went to a book, but a punishment should matter. Right?!?
Mr. DGoddess was talking to a friend of his and expressed how frustrated I was with yelling at the kids and not really having a punishment that seemed to matter to the kids and he told us something very, very smart. Are you ready for this? It’s pretty good.
Have them write an essay.
What? At first I kind of balked at the idea. However, it works. Not too long ago, the two kids were fighting and Bella said something snotty to Zack and he smacked her. I almost went to yell at him for hitting her. Instead I looked at him and said, “You have a 200 word essay on why you should not hit a girl“. He looked at me for a minute and then walked out of the room, grabbed a notebook and a pencil, and he began writing and counting. His sister wasn’t off the hook, though. Since she is younger and writing an essay is not something she could do just yet, she had to write 5-7 sentences on why you do not speak meanly to people.
Both kids went to separate areas of the house and wrote what they were supposed to write. Using writing in this way allowed for both kids to cool off and take a break from one another; it allowed me to calmly hand out a punishment without getting all riled up; and it’s helping both of them with their writing skills! Total win-win! Oh and believe me, I am saving all of their essays! I think they will be fun to look back when they are older!
This is an interesting solution. I don’t yell that much, but do yell when it’s called for. I can see where sometimes this could result in something good, but there are some things I just don’t think it’s a serious enough punishment for.
Oh well definitely, if the kids do something more serious, then a different punishment needs to be made! But for my 8 and 10 year old and the things they do, it’s working out so far 🙂
Ohhh girl! You are on to something. I yell way too much. I too hate it about myself. I struggle with it everyday. I can do this form of “punishment” with my son, but not with my daughter who is 3. It would encourage my son to write (he HATES to write) and get his thoughts onto paper.