Oh, So Much

There is so much awesomeness happening in the article I'm about to share with you from In The Powder Room. Oh, so much.

I have been a mom for all of 6 months now, which I'm sure is like a nano-second in the grand scheme of my parenting journey. However, I have done my fair share of disciplining as a nanny, skating coach, college cheerleading coach, and after school and summer school counselor. In working with children and even adults at the college level, I've learned that there are many ways to discipline. Some are more creative than others, which leads me to sharing one mom's fantastic story of creative discipline further in this post.

Anyone who has ever been responsible for someone else knows that without discipline, chaos can quickly ensue. As a college coach, I was able to be a bit more stern with those under my supervision. They could be talked to and reckoned with like adults, unless of course they were acting like children in which case they were then treated like children. There were days where they had to run laps, stadiums or do massive amounts of push ups. There were days when they were suspended from a game or even more devastating to them, from an away game and off campus travel. There was one day in particular when I simply had enough. They pushed me too far and we all know what happens when something is pushed beyond it's intended range. I snapped. Like crazy eyes snapped. I can still remember the looks on their poor faces when I lifted my coaching binder above my head and then slammed it to the gym floor with such force that it echoed across the gym. Guess what though, it got their attention and they stopped talking immediately.

One of my most creative discipline tactics came as the camp counselor for my "dolphins" at an elementary school the summer after I graduated from college. My dolphins were a group of about 15 rising 2nd graders. They were adorable and fun and cute and sweet and brutally honest at times and I loved spending all day with them five days a week. They'd be so great all day long, that was until it was time for 30 minutes of silent reading and writing time. Ugh. I dreaded those 30 minutes more than the remaining 7.5 hours combined. They. Could. Not. Stop. Talking. I tried everything. Time outs were pointless. The quiet game was a joke. Nothing worked. That was until I found their kryptonite.

In a moment of desperation, I declared that the next child to speak or touch their neighbor would have to stand up and sing a solo. Instant SILENCE, people. Like, pin-dropping silence. No one moved. From that moment on I learned what rising 2nd graders fear...embarrassment. Well, 99% of them do. Eric, my little man who was the first person to ever propose to me (true story), immediately wanted to sing a solo so I had to enforce that rule for everyone but Eric who thrived on the all eyes on him situations. But everyone else? They had it on lock from that day on during silent reading. Just call me the 2nd grade whisperer. And as for Eric, I gracefully declined his proposal whilst on the school bus on the way to a roller skating field trip with the caveat that if he still wanted to marry me when he was 22 and I was still single at 37, I'd accept. Sorry, Eric. The Hubs beat you to it.

As I navigate my way through this parenting deal, I fully intend on finding appropriate forms of discipline to raise fully functioning members of society and as proven in the past, I am not above embarrassment. Neither is the momma below who's story made me laugh out loud when I read it yesterday. Nash, look out sweet pea cuz yo momma is fully prepared to offer solos for you as a form of punishment. And even worse, I'll sing if need be. Oh the horror for all involved!

Enjoy the post below friend...
http://inthepowderroom.com/do-not-sass-talk-your-mother/