Let's take a time-out from time-outs. Kids are going to test our limits - it's in their job description. But instead of dreading how to respond, parents can seize the opportunity to create activities that are educational and engaging.

Yes, punishments can be fun.

Creativity expert, professor, father and former daycare provider Rustin Wolfe applies his scientific techniques to some of life's smallest - but most exasperating - problems weekly at MinnMoms.com.

Here's one of his creative solutions:

Fancy footwork

Question: What can I do when waiting in line with my kids?

Behavior: Children getting antsy while waiting.

Problem: Stuck in one spot with nothing to do. Without appropriate stimulation, kids will seek out potentially inappropriate stimulation.

Solution: Engage them.

Activity: One time while waiting in a hallway, I noticed a friend's 6-year-old getting antsy. I asked the girl how few steps she thought it would take to get across the width of the hallway. I took on the same challenge. Show them how fun it is. (Four, by the way for her; three for me.) Then, I asked her how many steps if she went heel-to-toe. From there, we tried using some creative footwork. We were no longer waiting; we were playing. Even when you've run out of toys or forgotten to bring them altogether, you can ask questions, tell stories, challenge each other or play games like Twenty Questions or I Spy. When you act bored or irritated,

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is it fair to expect positive behavior from your kids?

Want Rustin's solution for your child's challenging behavior? Post a question at MinnMoms Connect.

Read last week's problem and solution in the MinnMoms.com Expert Advice archive. Who is Rustin Wolfe? Education: Rustin Wolfe is an Associate Professor in the Doctor of Education in Leadership program at St. Mary's University of Minnesota. He received his Ph.D. and M.A. in Psychology from the University of Chicago, where he worked under Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of "Flow" and "Creativity." Rustin received his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, with a major in Sociology and an individual major titled "Divergent Thought and Behavior." Rustin is a certified facilitator in Creative Problem Solving.

Childcare experience: As an undergraduate, Rustin worked as the lead teacher of a before/after school program. He has coached children of elementary age through college.

A month after he began working in daycare, Rustin knew something had to change or he'd burn out. The bad behavior was getting to him. Despite his good intentions, the kids kept breaking the rules. And he came to dread discipline. So, that's precisely what he changed. Rustin decided to let go of the traditional time-out in favor of more creative punishments. He figured out how to - in a twisted sort of way - look forward to the next opportunity to come up with a novel consequence.

Rustin set up rules: the punishment had to be a logical consequence, it should try to undo the wrong that had been done, it should prioritize the facilitation of future behavior over punishing past behavior, and it shouldn't be intentionally boring.

Philosophy: Time-outs are for when we can't think of anything better. Every moment is a learning opportunity. Rustin challenges parents and caregivers - himself included - to ask themselves: How can we take advantage of the opportunities before us when a child misbehaves?