WARNING:
Before I begin this post I am going to have to warn all of you fluffy, don't punish your kids type people. If you are one of those parents that try to reason with your kid, let them throw a temper tantrum in the middle of the grocery store because you don't accept the bathrooms are really for lighting up their asses and actually using the bathroom is only it's second purpose in life, or maybe you are one of those that fear the child protective services and therefore cave into your
Simply turn away, click on something different or better yet just close your browser completely before you read any further.
Now that I have all that out of the way I can continue.
I'm not sure what the hell has been going on around here lately. Whether it's just that mid hump of the school year; we are freaking tired of school mom; or maybe it's just the we have been indoors entirely too long due to the weather thing but it has been one thing after another in our house. First the boy got in trouble for just plain being a brat in school to a substitute teacher. It wasn't anything huge and honestly I laughed inside but since the principal got involved and had that big bad principal talk with him I had to lay out some punishment. I mean if you compared it to some of the stunts we did
Then the baby girl got in trouble not once but TWICE! This is VERY odd for her! The first time she had ME ramped up to the you are in so much trouble cause you majorly pissed mama off mode. She flat decided she wasn't going to do a test at school and wrote a bunch of BS answers down instead of doing the math problems. This along with an overall bad class day caused the teacher to break down in tears. Now, before you go there the teacher is not one of those wienie types. She is a good, strong character that just had enough of her class goofing off that
Now recall I said that baby girl got in trouble TWICE! The first was at the beginning of the week. The second was discovered by her daddy when he picked her up from violin practice. Come to find out the girl wasn't even trying to play. I mean seriously she just had her violin laying in her lap while the entire class plays. What a way to say "F" this right? (Gotta love her spunk though! hehehe)
Then this past week the 16 yr old skipped class and went to a boy's house. NICE right???? In order to keep myself from reliving my near stroke level of anger I will not go into further detail as that is not really the point of this post.
You may ask what type punishment did I lay out. Well, I figure each had to be something that would grab their attention. So, I made them do chores all weekend. And by chores I mean CHORES! I have so many things around this house that need to be done that have been neglected over the last several months due to my illness and I dished it on down the proverbial ladder. I mean there has to be some ups to being the mom right?
So, for the last 3 weekends one or the other kid was grounded and the chores list was handed over. Everything from cleaning the garage (assigned to the boy), cleaning baseboards (assigned to baby girl) to washing the dog (assigned to school skipper). I am sitting here this morning looking around the house and thinking DAMN! It's looking pretty good! The weeds are gone around the side of the house, the ceiling fans are dusted, the laundry room is organized/cleaned/presentable, bedrooms are straight, toilets cleaned and the guinea pigs have clean cages!
I can't help but admit that I am already making the next Ohhh!! You got in troooouuubllleeee list for the next offender.
My question now is what punishments do you use in your house? I mean give me some feedback here. I am generally interested in what you think, what you do, how you handle the crimes committed in your house?
Oh btw... here's a picture of my new wood floor that the hubs had to install recently to get out of the I can't believe you did that trouble he got himself into recently.
(I'm sure it won't be long before another room has new floors.
I am deeply offended by your post. I mean seriously, you waste time taking them into the bathroom when you could be humiliating them by lighting up their backsides in the isle they chose to act out on? That is a whole three to five minutes of lesson time wasted my friend (depending on how far you from the bathroom).
ReplyDeleteAt my house I use whatever works at the time, but in general it is one of the following: we have labor detail, corporal punishment (better corporal now than capital later!), simple time outs, mouth washing, and loss of priviledge. The type of punishment given depends on the offense. I use loss of priviledge and corporal punishment more than the others. Acting out in public brings corporal punishment which is dealt out where ever we are standing. Acting out in school is either loss of priviledge or spanking, depending on how bad it was. Mouth washing is specifically for his smart mouth, which I really don't have a lot of problems with any more ;) Labor detail is generally handed out when he tells me no, or when he has the audacity to complain that he does too much around the house. Time outs are more for me, when I am just tired of his attitude he goes to time out, so not really discipline, more like pre-discipline, because after I cool off I generally dish out some other form of discipline.
Janet. . .thank you so much for this writing!! I have been dealing with this the past couple of weeks and not one instance or even one child but just plain frustration in the discipline department. Of course it is even more challenging haveing to deal with them on a step-parent level. My hubby is amazing and so great to back me up. . .but this only works if he is there at the time. Well it never fails he has to work late or has a game. So i have been ready to pull my hair out with my kids. I am all about tryign to find new punishment ideas so i love the idea of putting them on chores. I of course make them "clean their rooms", "clean the bathroome" etc. But i have never given them the nity grity jobs.
ReplyDeleteOh Amber, a full day of nitty gritty chores usually gets them back in line for at least a week.
ReplyDeleteI keep a entire little caddy full of things like the old toothbrushes, gloves, a couple of walmart bags for things like doing baseboards, picking up after the dog in the backyard, etc. They HATE HATE HATE using a toothbrush to clean the ENTIRE toilet. That usually is saved for behavior like bad mouthing, or a boy that won't aim. That kind of thing!
Get this one: Ashley (yup you are thinking of the right kiddo!) was really crappy a few years back and so I had her digging up the old shrubs around the house we had just bought (this was a few years back) and well she thought she would be smart and broke the brand new shovel so she wouldn't have to dig anymore. Well, hubs went in the house got a table spoon, came back out and told her to dig with that. OMG! The look on that kids face! HAHA!
Of course she is not that same bratty ass kid now. She is my Sweet Bratty NayNay! LOL
But anytime you need creative punishment ask. We got a hundred ideas! :)
LOVED IT !!!! I normally wont light up their asses in the store instead I get loud and that seems to make them think i am not going to do this anymore in the store. That is because every one is looking at them well probably me but oh well.
ReplyDeleteFor what happens at school..... well the oldest (your other daughter) got grounded from her phone a few weeks ago then got it back however I have been in contact with her case manager at school and she got the phone taken away again because she is was not doing her homework or she was doing and turning it in late. for now she has not had the phone for two weeks. no mp3 player for almost a month along side her computer she doesnt have rights to until i get report cards. I have taken the WII away from her with a lot of other things. As for chores the only thing they have to is clean their room or help me with the dishes when i say get over here and help. I cant have them help with dinner when i need them to do something because they like that to much.
I tried to comment on this the other day, but my phone wouldn't cooperate. I surely cannot remember all the wit-filled, intelligent things I said then, but here is my crack at it...
ReplyDeleteI am all about creative punishing. LOVE giving "shit" duty for a "shitty" attitude. Having to pick up 10,000 square feet of back yard that is home to 3 dogs seems to miraculously changed a pre-teen/teenagers whole outlook on life!
Slamming doors??? Not in my house...one week without privacy because you no longer have a door makes one think twice before slamming it again!
Teenagers...close to adulthood in chronological years, but more like a 2-5 yr old in behavior and attitude...act like a 2-5 year old, get treated like a 2-5 year old! They have bed times, no cell phones, very few privelages, have to ask for EVERYTHING, must accompany mommy everywhere and can NOT be left home alone. They don't talk on the telephone to their friends, walk down the street alone, eat in the living room or bedroom, or choose when to shower.
What? You can't find your belongings that were left laying around the house for the 100TH time? Well honey, that's cause I threw them away? I didn't figure they were too important since it was too cumbersome for you to find the time to put them away?
So, you had a blast sneaking out and terrorizing the neighborhood with toilet paper, eggs, and saran wrap last night? I'm so glad...I hope you have just as much fun cleaning it up and offering your unlimited, free services to each and every family affected by your night of mischeif. I'm sure they will enjoy your generosity of completing those crappy things they don't have time to get to!
Your teacher/principal doesn't deserve your respect? Well, I'll bet they are thrilled to find out that as much as you disrespect them, you can't wait to spend lunch, recess, study hall, and an hour after school every day for a week being their special little helper!
Did I hear you say that its not your job to help clean up around the house, rinse your dishes, or contribute to the family in any other way? That's fabulous! That means its not my job to do your laundry, tote you around, provide those little "extras" you love so much like brand name jeans, jewelry, make up, and video games. You just made my life so much easier!!
You don't like dirty crusty dishes on your bed? Well, I didn't much like them lying around the house, in the sink, and on the counter either!
Wow...now that I have forcibly stopped my babbling...I sound like a real bitch of a mom!!! Lol...for anyone who doesn't know me...my kids are now grown and they survived!
Julie,
ReplyDeleteYou are my HERO! I bow to you in total awe!
I needed to "hear" someone else explain that we as mom's are NOT the never ending housekeeper, personal groomer, maid, taxicab, tutor, etc. etc. etc.
:)