7. Creative Punishments for Kids

1.Make the sibling’s bed or do their chores

– When the poor behavior is being mean to a sibling a great natural consequence is that they have to do something for the sibling. I use making the other’s bed or doing the other kids chore for the day. I tried this and I found that the offended sibling really likes this as a punishment for the sibling that bothered them. They can then get over the issue really fast because they feel vindicated.

2. Early bedtime/No books

– This one works great for my older boys. They really like to stay up later than their younger sister so it is painful to them to have to go to bed the same time as her. And that’s when I realized this is a great punishment for the two older boys…when they really fought it. For a punishment to be effective it has to be a real pain point for them and this is one my boys best ones.

3. Pay to Fight

– I have always loved the book Love & Logic by Foster Cline. I highly recommend it. One of my favorite tips is to charge kids $1.00 a minute to listen to them fight. If they don’t have the money they must earn the money by doing chores.

4. Writing Sentences

– Let’s go old school here. Writing “I will not disrespect my mom.” 50 times can be a great incentive for them to not do it again.

5. Extra Chores

– There are all sorts of systems for this method. Some assign tasks based on the offense. Such as not listening means 1 room of baseboards cleaned. Some have a jar filled with slips of paper with chores on them and the child must pick a chore out of the jar.

6. No PlayDates

– I have never been able to do this because I feel it punishes another child who has been planning and looking forward to it but sometimes we need a total reset. I actually have done something really sneaky to make this work for us.

7. Positive Incentive Charts

my body: water

me: what?

Be a good friend to your godson. Children can be naturally spiritual, asking The Big Questions. 

But more important than imposing spiritual training on a child is embodying the spiritual way yourself. 

Children are very impressionable but do not take well to overt attempts to mold them. Better than making a child meditate is for that child to be raised by meditators. People who will be patient and compassionate yet decisive and firm. Loving and open yet powerful and strong. 

Lastly, I would give you the wisdom of Kahlil Gibran:

Your children are not your children.They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.They come through you but not from you,And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts.You may house their bodies but not their souls,For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your childrenas living arrows are sent forth.The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

- are pregnant - are ttc - are a mommy or daddy - have twins - are into health and nutrition - have a sense of humour - have a pulse - actually read this

1. It’s OK to admit motherhood isn’t fun, that you’re exhausted and that you resent your husband because he gets to go out into the world while you wipe noses and butts for a living.

2. Not breastfeeding will not kill your baby, regardless of whether your friends make you feel otherwise.

3. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and unless your child has a serious illness, it’s all small stuff.

4. Take the time to shower. Every single day.

5. Remember: They will always stop crying… eventually.

6. You don’t need a Diaper Genie or a wipe warmer.

7. Sometimes you’ll feel like throwing them out of a window. And that’s ok… as long as you don’t actually do it.

8. Don’t compare yourself to others. All you can be is the best mother you can be.

9. Put the baby in his or her “nice clothes.” Who cares if they get dirty? Save your favorite outfits and your baby may grow too quickly to ever wear them.

10. Don’t judge other parents. They have no idea what they are doing either.

11. Take videos of your kids. Pictures are great, too, but video captures the moment in a way photos can’t.

12. Get out of the house while they’re in the infant seat. That’s the easiest it’s ever going to be.

13. Don’t take things too seriously. You won’t completely screw up your kids if they miss a vegetable, a bath, fall asleep in their clothes or get away with things once in a while.

14. Nobody else knows what’s best for your baby. 

15. Let them get messy. That’s what baths are for.

16. Take time to refuel… It’s not selfish to take care of yourself.

17. Pick your battles. Sometimes it’s not worth the fight.

18. Parenthood is defined by extremes: Extreme happiness, extreme frustration, extreme love, extreme guilt… Learn to let go, breathe, and try to find the happy in each day.

19. The parents who look like they have it all together are almost always a bigger mess than you.