Mad Skillz

Ok Lifers, so the other day we had an issue here at The Palace that forced me and the DW to use our mad parenting skills.

Now you know how some days you just drudge through the day, hoping and praying you get it right, and that nobody gets hurt in the process?

Well this one was a little more challenging. See every night, before I tuck the clowns in bed, I tell them tomorrow make good decisions, do the right thing, be smart, and be a leader. I've been performing these Jedi Mind tricks on my clowns for so long now, that from time to time I have to explain to them what they mean again.

So anyway, the other day the oldest clown made a poor decision at school. Now again, she's in the 3rd grade. That's going to happen right?

But here's the thing. I wasn't a  very good, good student. I didn't always make the best decisions as a child either. Heck who am I kidding, even as a young adult I didn't make the best decisions. So it's real hard for me to get on her to much. Plus, and I'll be real honest here, I didn't know exactly what to do? I mean, on one hand I thought, eeh, that's not that bad. On the other hand I thought, what she did was wrong and she needs to be punished.

So anyway, the DW and I mulled over her punishments. We took away privileges, video games, t.v, whatever we could think of at the time. Now maybe for some clowns these punishments are like 25 to life in the State Pen,  but for this one, she loves to read. So to her no t.v and video games just means kick back, get in your own world, and read a book.
This clown loves to read so much so that one day the DW and I caught her reading a dictionary.... on purpose. 

So maybe that's not a great punishment. We thought of some more, and again used our mad parenting skills. This time deciding that there would be school punishment as well as additional home punishment. Quickly the DW texts her teacher. After a little chit-chat, it's decided that she would stay in from her recess and do extra school work...Math in fact. Nobody likes math right? It was the perfect punishment for a third grader. No recess with your friends, no laughing, no running and jumping. Instead forced to stay inside, do math homework until your brain hurts with some evil teacher lurking over your shoulder ready to snap your knuckles with a ruler when you get one wrong. Our little plan was Peeerrrrrfect. That will teach her. 

So I felt pretty good about the way we had handled the situation, even if I knew exactly why she did it, and truth be told, I probably did the exact same thing when I was her age.

The following day upon my return home from Paradise, the clown meets me at the door to explain how she got to do math at recess, and she actually enjoyed her punishment.

So much for our mad parenting skills.....Who is this kid anyway???

So let me know Lifers about your Mad Parenting Skillz. 

J-Tony