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:

NOT ALL ACRONYMS ARE CREATED EQUAL

Question: My little girl has a plantar wart, but I'm the one who's terrified about applying the liquid nitrogen the doctor recommended because I know it will hurt before it helps. Any advice?

Behavior: Fear of wart medicine.

Problem: Needs wart medicine.

Solution: Educate, empower, support, affirm.

Activity: I should come up with a snazzier acronym than EESA — perhaps one that spells out a word that slyly refers back to the topic — but weak acronym aside, these four steps will help you both get through this necessary evil.

1. Educate. Tell her what's going to happen and why. Explain it in a way to which she can relate, and while you should reveal that it will hurt a little, don't scare her.

2. Empower. Find a way to put her in the driver's seat. For example, she could be in charge of the stopwatch to time the length of the freezing application. You probably have a stopwatch on your cell phone.

3. Support. If you tag-team with your spouse, one could apply the medicine while your daughter holds hands with the other or sits in his or her lap. She should feel loved.

4. Affirm. Tell her how brave she was. Let her

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know what a good job she did.

5. If you're focused on those four steps, you'll have less time to worry yourself.

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

  • Read the Naughty Column archive at http://www.minnmoms.com/naughtycolumn.