“You’ve got your hands full,” the mechanic at the auto service center told me as I was paying for my oil change.
“Yes I do,” I responded, as my boys poked each other, giggled and ran around the small office.
To be fair, we had been waiting for a while in a small space, and it was almost lunchtime. They were actually pretty well behaved. No screaming or anything. They just got antsy at the end.
Disciplining children can be a challenge. And boys certainly can be a handful. My husband and I joked that we needed those yellow and red cards that soccer (or football, to be proper) referees use during matches.
And then I found this Soccer Referee Kit
I ordered it immediately. Heck, it was only $4.
What started as a joke became a fun way to discipline the boys. Because, let’s face it, little boys get loud. Sometimes, you need a whistle to get their attention.
They know to stop what they are doing when they hear the whistle. If they get a yellow card, that’s a warning. Another yellow card means a time out. A red card means that the recipient of the card needs to go to their room to cool down a bit.
As Mom, I have the right to go straight to the red card, if I determine an infraction is bad enough to warrant a trip straight to their rooms.
So far, the technique has worked. While they laughed the first time and tried to turn the tables and give me a yellow card, they realized quickly that it was Mom’s kit and not theirs.
Luckily, I haven’t had to use it too much. When I do, they smile and listen. (For the most part. The 3 year old is in the negotiating stage.)
At least I get their attention. And that’s really all I want to do.
How about you? What kind of creative discipline tools have you used to get your children’s attention?
