Sometimes when your child does something wrong, a gentle talking-to isn't enough to make a difference and prevent them from doing it again. So where does a parent go from there to nip bad behavior in the bud? Well, some get downright creative in how they choose to discipline their child.
We can't say we endorse every one of these tricks, but we do appreciate the chutzpah these parents had. (And we're curious to know which of these strategies actually worked!)
Click through to see some unique ways parents have set kids straight and tell us: which of these are you most likely to try with your own child?
Image via reddit.com
The Hard Labor Option
Talk about brilliant. First, these parents gave their daughter a congratulations letter, letting her know she's been grounded. (Uh, yay?) Then they made her desire to be un-grounded work to their advantage.
We bet she quickly worked off her punishment with some of these chores — and that this family's house looked a-mahzing.
The Tooth Fairy Postponement
Hats off to these parents who used the Tooth Fairy to get their daughter to clean up her bedroom. According to the official note TF left, Emily's room was simply too darn messy to navigate, so no money was left. But once Emily cleans up, the Tooth Fairy promises to make a return visit.
More From The Stir: 11 Creative Tooth Fairy Ideas to Celebrate That First (& Second …) Lost Tooth
The Curfew Clown
Kami, who blogs over at Lifetree Family, has an ingenious way of dealing with broken curfews. Latecomers arrive home to find a scary clown mask lurking on the stairs or in their bedroom. The point? To get them a little taste of how frightened parents feel when they don't know where their kids are.
The Embarrassing T-Shirt
When a teenaged girl missed her curfew, her dad took action — by making her wear a very special t-shirt. On it: Dad's angry face, with the words, "TRY ME!" By the look on her face in this picture, she won't.
The Lock-Out
Grounding is so ordinary. This mom gave her teen more immediate feedback on being late for curfew: locking her out of the house. But she did so in a reasonable way — note mention of the blanket!
The Work-for-Wi-Fi
In some houses, Wi-Fi passwords aren't a privilege, they're a luxury. The parent of the note above makes darn clear: You want to check your Facebook page? You better be prepared to wash a smelly dog first.
The In-Person Return
Sure, you could return your child's beloved Wii when they get into trouble. But what makes even more impact: Making them come with you to watch the return, then telling the cashier why you're there. You don't want to mess around with these parents!
The Get-Along Shirt
When two sibs are bickering non-stop, most parents reach a point where they order them to separate. These kids' parents chose to take the opposite tack by making them wear The Get-Along Shirt. Have we finally found the solution to ending Israel and Palestine's unrest?
More From The Stir: If Your Kid Is in My House, I'll Discipline Him My Way
The For-Sale Ad
Driving drunk is no laughing matter. So when this mom's 16-year-old son was caught for doing just that, she put his truck up for sale in the newspaper — and explained exactly why. We don't think she's the "meanest mom in Wyoming." Smartest is more like it!
The Short Shorts
So your daughter thinks Daisy Dukes are soooo cute, eh? Nothin' like a dad providing a serious reality check.
The Warning Rap
A little rap, a little friendly threatenin'. We bet this mom came home to a clean living room, don't you?
The Ugly Clothes
When a mom found out her fourth-grade daughter had been teasing another girl over her clothes, she went to the thrift store, bought some "ugly" clothes, and … made her fashion-conscious daughter wear them to school.
The Threat of Dancing
If you're the parent of a teen, you know the joys of being called for a ride, only to have to sit (and sit) until they're good and ready to actually emerge from their friend's house. Cami at Lifetree Family has devised an excellent way to hurry her kids up — by threatening to bust a move on the sidewalk. It's a discipline trick so good, it would put Baby in a corner.
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
