Have your kids ever misbehaved in a way that required a creative form of discipline? This week’s story is from Abby about a time her kids’ fish went belly-up after they experimented on it, and she had a knee-jerk reaction.
Some misbehaviors are expected, and as parents, we prepare for how to dish out discipline. Lying, hitting a brother or sister, covering up a broken vase… But when kids do something that’s either out of character or so random it doesn’t fit in a category, it can be hard to come up with an appropriate consequence. When Abby noticed her sons were being too quiet, she had a feeling something was up. She and her husband walked in to find the fish nearly dead and the kids looking at them wide-eyed, as if they had no idea the “experiment” they were performing might lead to the fish’s early demise. Her initial reaction was a bit strong, but after settling down, she realized there were better ways to respond.
In this episode, the podcast team has a great conversation about effective discipline and how to help kids think about why they misbehaved. And if you’re not allowing your kids to experience natural consequences, then they’re missing out on one of the best teachers out there. You’ll love the discussion about how to be patient when natural consequences take some time to kick in. Unrelated to the topic, but just as important, Chloe calls Abby out for her bizarre pronunciation of the word “crayon.”
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Have you ever tried some form of discipline and looked back with regret? How do you handle crazy or uncharacteristic misbehavior from your kids? Tell us in the comments below.
