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:

IT'S A MIRACLE!

Question: How can I get my daughter to stop freaking out at the sight of her own blood after a minor scrape?

Behavior: Irrationally upset by minor injuries.

Problem: Getting upset is not constructive.

Solution: Get silly, then model calm.

Activity: Take a look at the injury to make sure it isn't serious. Wash it. Turn away to get the band-aid. Then, grab a part of her body that's not injured (e.g., the other arm), and exclaim, 'It's a miracle! You're healed!' This should break the hysteria and provide you an opportunity to model the kind of calm you'd like to see in her. I like to explain what I'm doing as I bind wounds, but you may prefer to change the subject to something more pleasant.

  • 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.
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