This week Griffin is suspended from the bus. He has problems staying in his seat, hitting other kids with his backpack as he gets in and out and listening to what the bus driver tells him to do. His latest offense was the last straw and we are without bus service for a week. So, time to pull out the stops and make him realize it's a privilege to ride the bus and he needs to shape up.
How do we teach him this lesson?
We walk home from school in 97 degree heat for 2.3 miles. That's 36.1 degrees Celsius and 3.7 km for you metric folks!
It's teach Griffin a lesson/torture mommy time. (Why didn't he get suspended last week when it was in the 80's?!?) It took us about an hour with lots of crying and moaning and complaining, some threatening to never go to school again and finally repeating the mantra, "I will sit in my seat on the bus and I will listen to the bus driver." We were hot and sweaty and took cold showers to cool off and drank a bottle of Gatorade each after our walk.
How do we teach him this lesson?
We walk home from school in 97 degree heat for 2.3 miles. That's 36.1 degrees Celsius and 3.7 km for you metric folks!
It's teach Griffin a lesson/torture mommy time. (Why didn't he get suspended last week when it was in the 80's?!?) It took us about an hour with lots of crying and moaning and complaining, some threatening to never go to school again and finally repeating the mantra, "I will sit in my seat on the bus and I will listen to the bus driver." We were hot and sweaty and took cold showers to cool off and drank a bottle of Gatorade each after our walk.
Today when I drove him to school he begged me to bring the car to pick him up. I have to go get the girls after school so I have to drive today but we might be walking again on Wed, Th and Fri. (We will just have to see if I can survive the torture!)
Griffin after walking home.
I really hope it's worth it. Sometimes kids don't realize the punishment is worse for the parents than it is for the kids! Really, who wants to have a grounded kid around the house whining and complaining, or have them miss out on something fun when you were going to have some free time to do something fun yourself?! Oh, the joys of parenting.
Poor Griffy! I bet it wasn't even his fault! I know them bus drivers! There're mean! The bus driver probably had just gotten a RIF notice or was PMSing!
ReplyDeleteLOL! The picture says a thousand words!
ReplyDeleteThat is a good lesson. You are a better mom than I am.
If my kids don't get their stuff done on time before school and I have to drive them, I get 30 more minutes of "clean the house" out of them! Try that if you can't stand the heat.
Count the walking as the 3 additional cardio hours for Michelle's boot camp.
HAHA This is so funny. I don't know what i would do in that situation. You are such a great mom and i hope i will be just as great. haha
ReplyDeleteAmen Sista' what they don't realize it that it's twice as painful for the Mom! I always tell Brian as he's invoking a cruel and unusual consequence that sadly, I'm the one who gets to deal with the repercussions! You're a great Mom, a lesson he'll probably not easily forget! Natural Consequences are lifelong lessons!
ReplyDeletePoor Griffin! And poor Kathy! That is a great idea, though. I hope for both of your sakes that it works.
ReplyDeleteI love it! That is the best punishment possible, I'm sure! You are so right, that the parents get punished more than the kids, though. I always get mad when Paul grounds Siena without talking to me first because I am the one who also gets grounded. The heat is a killer though.
ReplyDeleteKathy, I am so proud of you! My own mom couldn't have done better. And you know how my mom is. So let us know if the lesson worked. I will be using the same on Yeager or Alyse if that happens. Keep up the good work. And it's true, the mom has the hard part and is just as grounded as the kid. Love, Terrilynn
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