My New Favorite Punishment

All summer I have been working at the gym in the mornings to run day camp. It is a place where older kids who are too old for Daycare, and too young to stay home by themselves can come spend their days. We do all sorts of activities, arts and crafts, movies, and Fridays is a swim day. This is my third year to help with the day camp program and I enjoy it a lot. The same kids have come back year after year and love to spend the days with us. Of course a major plus is that the day contains natural fat burners with all the exercise and constant activity.

On the down side there are the discipline problems. There are your competitive kids, your entitled kids, your daredevils,and you plain monsters who just can't leave anyone alone. For a few of them time-out is not effective so I came up with a new strategy, hand holding. So if a particular child can not behave then he.she earns a spot as my new best friend, and gets to hold my hand for several minutes while I coach. It has turned into the ultimate embarrassment for the boys who are mortified that they might have to hold my hand for a few minutes, and it has helped change many of the problems to non-existent. Who knew I could be such a deterrent?