Creative Child Discipline Method May Just Be More Effective Than Traditional Grounding

Have you ever been grounded when you were a kid? You know, that time when you did something mischievous (like breaking the window or maybe punching one of your playmates) and then as a punishment, your parents angrily tell you to go inside your room and are not allowed to go out for a period of time.

Although unquestionably effective for some families, it can be safely said that some kids couldn’t be disciplined by mere grounding. Not that they’re too hard-headed but not all children are the same so a single type of discipline may not be applicable for everyone.

So despite the fact that many modern parents still implement traditional grounding, it is also true that there are those who think the approach isn’t really working for their kids.

Take these three parents, for example, who each came up with a creative way to “punish” their kids’ misbehavior.

Jared’s daughter Julia overused Instagram which led to a shocking phone bill.

Jared Cramer, father of 13-year-old Julia, was shocked to find out that his daughter’s unbridled Instagram usage has costed the a phone bill of $541 in data charges – a huge amount that could’ve been added to her college fund.

Although he considers his daughter a “wonderful child” with a “great attitude in life,” he was determined to teach her about the relation of bad choices and consequences.

What he did was to take his daughter’s designer belongings, locked them up, and gave her a list of chores she needs to complete before she can get her items back.

This method of disciplining definitely worked.

According to Jared:

“Julia woke up at 6:30 this morning when I woke up, and she started doing chores. She said, ‘You know what dad, I know you love me, I know I messed up and I’m gonna work this off.’”

Lynette, mother of three, made things interesting by implementing a point system.

Mommy blogger Lynette also applied a similar approach.

When her three kids did a misdeed, she came up with a point system and she required them to accomplish 500 points before they can gain certain privileges back.

Lynette later shared on her blog:

“This worked out better than I could have ever imagined. My oldest son got right to work and earned his 500 points in one day. The other two are getting closer and working hard too! We had a nice dinner last night prepared by my son.”

Molly, on the other hand, found a creative way to ensure her kids will always keep their toys.

Molly Frierman Jolly, another mother of three, wanted to teach her children the importance of taking care of their own belongings. So she told them that if she finds any of their toys scattered at night, they automatically become “mom’s property.”

She even wrote a short jingle to make sure that the rule is clear for everyone:

“You left it out, and now it’s mine. If you want it back, do a chore to pay the fine.”

Author and psychotherapist Amy Morin said:

“Logical consequences — like taking away privileges — can be very effective. They work best when there are clear instructions on what kids need to do to earn their privileges back.”

Parents, do you know of other effective ways of disciplining a child? Please share them with other readers on the comment section below.