What To Do When Your Child Misbehaves
Introducing the “Wheel of Punishment!”
Okay, okay. I know it sounds cruel and dreadful, but allow me to explain how this wonderful wheel has cut down on bad attitudes and undone tasks in the Pellicane household.
We bought this “Pizza Party” spinner originally for our afterschool Sonshine Club at our kids’ elementary school. Kids would spin it for prizes. But after a year or so, the pegs started falling off.
Instead of tossing the wheel, we re-purposed it. The wheel was going to the dark side!
We put various chores around the house on the wheel. Things like:
- Vacuum upstairs carpet
- Clean baseboards
- Pull weeds
- Clean toilets
- Clean sinks
It became “The Wheel of Punishment” (you must put a humorous twist into saying the name, we like to announce it in a “monster truck show” kind of voice).
You can use “The Wheel of Punishment” for many things. If your child doesn’t do homework, spin the wheel. If they forget to feed the cat, spin the wheel. If they sass off to you, spin the wheel.
It’s great fun for siblings to watch their sibling spin the wheel for a punishment! (and they realize, “I don’t want to spin that wheel!”)
We most recently took out the wheel when Lucy came up to me, pouted, and said, “I’m bored.”
Here at the Pellicane household, we can fix boredom very easily.
I said to her, “Let’s spin the wheel and find you something to do!”
Five minutes later, she was vacuuming the carpet upstairs.
She hasn’t said she was bored since.
I love this wheel because it takes away the anger and emotion that rises up in you when your child doesn’t listen. Instead, you have a consequence that is applied. No yelling. No harmful words said in frustration.
Just spin the wheel.
Your house will be cleaner…and your kids will be nicer and more obedient.
By the way, if you don’t want to get a wheel, you can have an equally exciting “Jar of Consequence” with slips of paper with chores written on them.
And if you don’t have time for your child to do the chore right after the offense (maybe you’re headed out the door), no worries. That chore can wait for your child to return. Your child will remember the discipline and be able to connect the dots.
