My first instinct, when Colm’s teacher told me today in pick-up line that he  had “punched” another child in the lunch line today and then proceeded to use his feet to kick  kids awake after naptime and that he had a note in his backpack explaining everything, was to take away all of his TV time.  I knew it would make an impression; I also knew it would make him SUPER mad.  He got in the car after school and immediately opened up his backpack.  He is smart enough to know that he did NOT want me to read that note.  Oh, he screamed and he yelled.  He REALLY did not want me reading that note.  Honestly, if she hadn’t told me about the note, I think he would have done something with it and I would have been none the wiser.  Anyways, I am glad we have our long drive home because it gave me some time to think.  Taking away his TV time was a reaction, but I truly didn’t think it would teach him anything as much as he would just be super pissed and we would have a whole other situation on our hands.  So, instead, he wrote his teachers an apology letter and drew a picture to go with it.  I e-mailed his teachers to let them know to look for it in his backpack.  We’ll see how tomorrow goes.  If there is more of the same, then we will look into something that will make more of an impression.
Discipline
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Wow! That is an awesome idea. Makes him think about it differently.
Teresa
Thanks! It’s hard to know if you are doing the right thing sometimes. We’ll soon see if it worked or not.
I would have done both. Make him write the letter and give it to his teachers and tell him no TV until he comes home with good behavior from school.
I’m also the mean mom who made her kid sleep in the hallway 🙂
Nina, thank heavens your kids are older than mine and I can get discipline ideas from you. My latest ruse for happy mornings is stickers, but who knows how long that will last? At any rate, let us know how it goes.