Monday

My Parenting Has Reached New Levels

In a couple of weeks I'm going to be sharing some great parenting tips I learned at Family Camp. We returned with an armful of books and a plan to parent our kids. 


We've already seen some amazing changes in our home.

But this is a freebie. And I give myself full credit for this stroke of brilliance!

The other day on our way home from the store, my oldest daughter started screaming, "He wiped a booger on me!  A booger!"

She held up the defiled arm so I could confirm it in the rearview mirror.

I looked at my son's smiling face.  Do you know what I saw?  Pride. This wasn't the first time he had disrespected his older sister.

Passing back a tissue, I said sternly to my son, "You need to respect her.  That is very gross and when we get home, you are going to get in trouble."

We finished the car ride in silence, my daughter rejoicing in her brother's pending doom and my son reflecting on his immediate future.

And that's when I had my stroke of brilliance.

"Son, you can choose one person in this house....to wipe a booger on your arm."

He just stared at me.

And then he burst into tears.  "But that is so gross, why, Mom?"

I used the opportunity to share with him how his sister felt.

He took a minute and said, much to my relief, "Okay, I choose her," pointing to his big sister.

And she said, "Oh, man.  I wish I had known that because I just had a great one."

I didn't ask where it went.

Yes, we are that classy around here.

Once, the deed was done, my son hugged me and said, "Thanks, Mom.  I will NEVER do that again."

And I felt like I had reached an entirely new level of parenting.

I also felt sick to my stomach.

P.S.  If you know my family in real life, please resist the temptation to mention this post to my hubby. He's not exactly a fan of this parenting technique and as for posting about it, in his words, "Honey, you have to draw the line somewhere." To which I responded, "Oh, I d0.  I do."

63 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, my. I don't think he'll do that again!

Kate said...

Way 2 teach a lesson! Now, please excuse me while I go rinse with mouthwash...I think I just threw up a little in my mouth. ;op

Anonymous said...

Sometimes, that's what it takes! I say it was divine inspiration.

Valarie Lea said...

Bravo!!! I am standing up clapping! A stroke of genius! I love it!

Poppyseed said...

Before becoming a mom---->HOW DISGUSTING!
After becoming a mom---->AWESOME COMEBACK!!!
Sometimes you just have to do whatever works, regardless of what the world at large may think of you!

Natalie said...

I love your parenting! Want to babysit? :-)

Tammy said...

My motto: A momma's gotta do what a momma's got to do!

Bravo sister.

Jillie Bean (AKA Bubba's Sis) said...

Let me add my voice to the resounding bravos in the room! I think this is an awesome parenting technique, because it WORKED! Good for you for thinking on the ball!

Muthering Heights said...

LOL, that's AWESOME! I may have to use your technique to encourage empathy...

Marni's Organized Mess said...

You crack me up. Now I can't wait to have my kids do this just so I can use this lesson. lol

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Unknown said...

Way to go, Mom! I say you had a great inspiration, and I do believe that he will never ever do that again.

Anonymous said...

Cmartin21's comment is a hoot. So true of me, too. I try to be "creative" like you did. But sometimes my creativity leaves in a moment of anger or disgust. Or when both are simultaneously present . . . .

Heather said...

Brilliant! I'll have to remember that one!

Mechelle said...

Oh it's so genius! LOL I am of the old Biblical rule... "Do to others as you would have them do to you" Luke 6:31 and what a better way to teach this lesson to your kids... gross but very effective that's for sure!
Thanks so much for sharing.
((hugs)) Mechelle

Mozi Esme said...

Brilliant! I hope I never have to resort to that . . . But it just might come in handy some day.

Natalie said...

so funny! and i love that your husband says you need to draw the line somewhere. my husband says the same thing! if he only knew all the stuff i wanted to blog about but didn't because it was over the line he would be so proud!

good parenting!

Anonymous said...

LOVE it! This sounds eerily similar to something I have done in the past, to which I will not admit.

Your husband also sounds eerily similar to mine. I think he is always slightly concerned about what topic will appear on his feed reader each day. :)

Anonymous said...

UGH! Gross! But what a good punishment. At least he now knows what it feels like to have a booger wiped on him! lol Look forward to hearing what your learned at your camp!

Happy Mommy said...

Well done! I think it is very important to be creative with our punishments! And that was very creative!

marky said...

I was just swallowing (should I say attempting to swallow) a bite of my breakfast!
thanks for sharing that very personal yet insightful moment into parenting!

Jeanette said...

Good for you mom! I used to have to do the same thing - course without a boy in the house, we never had to resort to boogers but we had other stuff just as bad (spitting & yes, farting). YUCK!

Hugs!

Jeanette said...

Good for you mom! I used to have to do the same thing - course without a boy in the house, we never had to resort to boogers but we had other stuff just as bad (spitting & yes, farting). YUCK!

Hugs!

Jeanette said...

Good for you mom! I used to have to do the same thing - course without a boy in the house, we never had to resort to boogers but we had other stuff just as bad (spitting & yes, farting). YUCK!

Hugs!

Mrs. Jones said...

Ok, I found your blog today, and immediately liked you when I saw that banner!

~Heather

Anonymous said...

I LOVE IT!!!! Reality discipline at it's best! I can tell you read "Making Children Mind w/Out Losing Yours".

Mandy said...

Good one! It's funny how that way usually curbs them faster than anything else!

Unknown said...

I love it! Isn't it awesome when you have a parenting epiphany like that!

Mama Smurf said...

You are my hero...

I bow to the parenting master....

Tales From the Eurovan said...

Wow, this is great! I am going to file it away to remember the next time one of the kids does some gross thing towards one of the others! Take care, Julie

alex said...

Haha! That is parenting genius at it's best. My mom used to make me and my sister hug or kiss when ever we would fight. And we bickered like cats and dogs. ;)

Unknown said...

Gross!! And hilarious! And sounds like it worked great! :)

Anonymous said...

Could you warn us of the gross factor BEFORE the post?

I just gagged on my cheerios!

D... said...

That's some creative parenting! Great thinking!

Anonymous said...

Oh, I have such a mommy-crush on you! You rock!

Lori said...

I'm impressed that you could even find something that would gross out a boy. I didn't think that was possible!

Lisa said...

I love the fact that you emphasized the respect issue. And also glad your daughter did not gloat at him. I can not believe your son was wise enough to hug you and to see the error in his ways. What a wonderful job you are doing of raising a great young man. Teaching him to respect girls (even his sisters) and to realize there are consequences when he doesn't. And he was wise enough to know he didn't want to make that mistake again. I am so impressed with your Godly manner of raising your children. Your hubby would be very proud of you, too bad we are not going to tell him about this!!! Take care!

Colleen - Mommy Always Wins said...

You know, I actually think that's a great idea! Do unto others, right? And you KNOW it made an impression upon him!

I say way to go - sometimes it takes *creativity* to be a good parent!

Anonymous said...

That kind of stuff always backfires on me. My kids would think it was AWESOME to have boogers wiped on them.

I decided to try a star chart last week to encourage the kids to do what I say. If they obeyed immediately they got a star, if they dilly-dallied they lost a star. It worked great for one day. The next day they WANTED me to remove all the stars.

Shannon @ Silver Trappings said...

I just found your blog today. I have read about the last 60 or so posts already. And have been laughing out loud most of the time. I will be back regularly!

Shannon

debbie bailey said...
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Lauren said...

Ha...we would TOTALLY do that around here!

I was watching What Not to Wear with my 7yo a couple of days ago when she informed me that black was a bad color for clothes. Why? "Because snot shows up on it."

Darla said...

Now if I just had a SECOND child to use this brilliance on.

Tracy DeLuca said...

I used to make my daughter paddle me when she was bad. It only took a couple of times for her to decide she did not like it. hehe. Proud moments in parenting.... love em.

Phone Photo Project by Kim said...

Great job! I would of done the same thing!!!

Unknown said...

Booger stories! Boy do I have some of those. But, I won't share them here. They are pretty horrifying!!

Unknown said...

visit
www.beyondthebehavior.blogspot.com for parenting tips or to ask a question!

The Fritz Facts said...

How fabulously perfect! I love it.

Jenileigh said...

ROFLOL! I love it, oh yes I do! Way to go mom!

Land of Lovings said...

I think that is a FANTASTIC solution! That is one parenting technique that will come in handy for me in the next couple of years! Think of all the applications it has...brilliant! : )

Mamajil said...

Very brilliant!! :)

Kaye said...

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Mom said...

That was brilliant. I absolutely love it.

I will be posting a link to this on my own page just to share. I swear this is one of the best discipline techniques I have EVER read.

www.momstop.blogspot.com

Gary Thompson said...

I think you're a genius.

Lynn said...

Now THAT is a punishment that fits the crime. LOL!

Petula said...

Shanaulynn (Mom) was right... that is great! This sounds crazy, but I hope one of mine does something like that so they can get this "discipline!"

As for your hubby: You need a t-shirt I have that I got from CafePress, it says, "Don't bug me or I'll blog about it!"

Joy said...

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! Oh man I'll have to remember this one!

Unknown said...

I think that was an EXCELLENT way to handle this. Very good indeed.

debbie bailey said...

So, did you delete all the posts that didn't agree with you? I don't see mine on here.

Amy Jo said...

What a great story! You made me laugh out loud, and I'm tempted to stay up all night reading your blog.

magnet for the crazy said...

I could not stop laughing, please continue to share your parenting because I certainly am not that clever!!!