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:

SO?

Question: What can I tell my son to do in response to teasing?

Behavior: Bullied.

Problem: Humiliated.

Solution: Stay above the fray.

Activity: Finding the right balance of when to let it go and when to fight back is very difficult, even for an adult. It's certainly a worthy topic for ongoing discussion. A simple trick for the young ones is to just respond with, "So?" This takes the air out of most any insult without increasing the risk of escalation. Dr. Cosby wrote a great book on the matter, "Bill Cosby's Little Bill: The Meanest Things to Say" (1997), which might be a good way to show the lesson to your son.

-- 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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