Creativity expert, professor, father and former day care provider Rustin Wolfe writes a weekly MinnMoms parenting advice column that uses creative punishments to put a positive spin on negative behavior.

Here's one of his creative solutions:

FOILED AGAIN

Question: How can I get my daughter to be considerate in common situations like hanging up her coat when all the hooks are taken?

Behavior: Not hanging up coat.

Problem: Inconsiderate.

Solution: Be the foil.

Activity: Tell her to grab a few coats and throw them on the floor. Then there will be plenty of room for hers. Smirk. Pause. If she starts to choose poorly, you can jump in and be heavy-handed, but ideally, you'll let her tell you how wrong you are. Let her choose the right thing to do rather than telling her when she may not need that from you. When you play the villain, you create the space for her to be the hero. And there's not much more satisfying to a child than feeling like he or she knows more than the adult.

-- Want Rustin's solution for your child's challenging behavior? Send questions to naughtycolumn@gmail.com.

-- Read the Naughty Column archive at minnmoms.com/naughtycolumn.

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