Daddy's Discipline

This past week, Erik won a gold star in my book for great discipline ideas. After awhile, the same old everyday reprimanding starts to become somewhat ineffective. Especially when they get older. Time-outs and spankings are a little outdated for Abby (6) and Ella (5), and so it really helps to get creative. Erik is much better at it than I am and this weeks he wins the award.


Ella had another stealing episode, at school, this last week. During snack time she stole another little girls pretzels. She came off the bus in tears and confessed. Her teacher told her that she needed to tell us. We really didn't know what to do with this. We thought this whole theft thing was behind us.


So Erik came up with a solution. That night we were headed to Denver and stopping at the gas station first. He said that we would be getting all the kids a treat, a candy bar. Ella was going to set her candy bar aside and give it to Emy the next day. You would of thought the world was coming to an end. The tears flowed and the howling began. All the kids munched on their M&M's, while Ella stared at her unopened package of chocolate goodness. To a five year old, this was the worst punishment anyone could conjure up.


After the initial shock wore off, she started to warm up to the idea of making things right with her classmate. She made her a sorry card and put a lot of love into it.

The next day at school she gave Emy her peace offering.

Translation: Emerald, I like you, Emerald you are so nice, I love(heart) you, Emerald I am so sorry, I love(heart) you Emerald. Please forgive me Emerald. From Ella.


I know, how sweet is that! That's them playing together at recess! I love this girls sweet tender heart!


I really hope this is the last of the stealing drama.




Last weekend, the girls were at each others throats and we had had enough. Instead of screaming at them, putting them in their rooms or threatening with a spanking, Erik very calmly asked them to come over to him. He said,"both of you sit cross-legged facing each other, touch knees, hold hands, and put your heads together. Now stay like that until you can both be kind and pleasant to one another."


They both started to sigh and complain, but then realized there was no way around it. Abby pipes up in her sarcastic voice and says to Erik, "what made you come up with this idea?" Both of us were trying really hard not to laugh!

It only took a couple minutes for them to start giggling and discussing what they wanted to play next. Funny how a few minutes earlier they were at each others throats and now with a little perspective change, the world was all lollipops and roses.


This is going to be our go-to form of discipline, for two cranky sisters that can't seem to find a way to get along!