Creative Discipline

I know that I've said it before, but becoming a father the day I got married has been the toughest part about this job.

It has gotten a whole lot easier over the past five years, there are only maybe a few things that I don't get involved with (if that even). But I do not hesitate as much as I used to when it comes to raining down fire if there are any if any infractions in house rules.

We do not ask much of him. Just to contribute to the benefit of the family. We let him slide some on account of his school activities, but the rules should still be followed. One that I will not tolerate is getting an attitude with his mother. He's gotten better this school semester though. He started saying "Yes/No Ma'am/Sir" in the past month. Even though we've been telling him how to answer us or anyone, he is doing it now because his theatre teacher is making the kids do it. Although I do not like the fact that he listens to someone else. The point is that he is doing it now.

The other main thing I require of him is to keep his room clean. Or picked up at the least. I know I know. He's a teenage boy, his room isn't going to be immaculate. I don't want it immaculate, I just want it manageable. I would also like him to at least listen to my requests and attempt to pick up his room after I tell him too.

I've gotten creative with him before so he learns a lesson. And I'm doing it again.

To say his room is a disaster area is not an exaggeration. FEMA will not even touch it. They said they would rather deal with death and decay on a global scale than my son's room. I replied saying that I could not confirm or deny that there would be no death or decay in his room already.

Regardless, his room is mess. It's mainly his clothes. Both clean AND dirty. It's not like he has to fold them. We do the hard part. We just put them in his room so he can put them away. Well, they just get kicked off his bed onto the floor on his way to bed. He also has to just either bring his dirty clothes for the day to the laundry room or put them in a laundry basket. They get mixed up on the floor too.

So this is what I did today.

He has this thing where he will not wear the same pair of blue jeans twice without washing them. Now if they were stinky and dirty, I could understand. But they are not.

I went in his room and found his stack of clean jeans (about 3 or 4 pair), and I hid them. I then picked up his dirty jeans (about 6 or 7 pair), and hid them too. Yes he has at least 10 pairs of jeans because he is wearing a pair to school right now.

Now he only has one.

He will have to clean his room to get his dirty jeans back. He'll have to wash his own jeans and when they are clean and hung up, I will give him back his clean jeans.

If listening to me does not get his stuff done, then maybe if I inconvenience him enough he'll get it done.

We'll see how he reacts when he gets home this afternoon.

And to retort any future argument. No my room isn't the cleanest. Our room holds the baby crib. Any access storage boxes and we separate laundry in our room. And I have three babies.

I'll let you know how it goes. Maybe I should have his theatre teacher tell him to do it.

What creative ways do you discipline your kids? Do they respond to that better than the material restrictions??

Have a great day my friends.