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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:
MY TURN
Question: Five toys; six kids. What can I do to avoid tears?
Behavior: Poor sharing.
Problem: Supply does not meet demand.
Solution: Make the kids feel like they have more to gain by sharing.
Activity: My favorite manipulative line here is, 'How much longer are you going to be using that?' Typically, a child will offer a reasonable timeframe. Then, all you have to do is remind her as it approaches. If she doesn't offer one, then you can discuss how it feels to wait and coax out a more reasonable answer. This is far more effective than yanking the toy out of her hand and saying your turn's done without warning because it empowers her to do good. If you want to go a little further out of the box, you can reframe the activity entirely. For example, why not nudge them away from parallel play and encourage a group activity in which they all could participate? Six kids shooting hoops requires six balls, but a game of three-on-three takes just one.
