Deprogramming Your Children
After certain events, your kids develop a way of thinking that is different than what you're trying to impart upon them. Perhaps they have been away at summer camp and have come back ready to challenge your authority. Or maybe they've been exposed to the neighborhood cult and drank some of the Kool-Aid. Whatever the case may be, you have to deprogram the child, and return him or her to their previous state.
It's after these types of events that I wish children were as simple as computers. If they were, I would be able to create a restore point every time my daughters left the house. According to Microsoft, this would allow me to "undo changes if problems occur." However, this just isn't possible... yet. For now, I have to settle for the tedious, time consuming challenge of restoring my kids to their previous state. Maybe I should have bought a Mac.
How To Deprogram Your Kids
Although I don't have this down to a fine science, I know one, and only one thing about deprogramming your kids. You have to hit them where it hurts (not literally of course). Each and every child has their own pain points. For some it may be taking away the television. For others it may be having to sit out the next football game. For my oldest, it is her stuffed Eeyore. If she steps out of line, all I have to do is restrict access to Eeyore, and voila, the deprogramming begins.
So far I have refrained from using this tactic in all cases except for the most extreme. However, as she grows more immune to other forms of deprogramming, mainly the 'naughty chair,' the Eeyore grab may have to be used more often.
What do you do to deprogram your kids?
photo courtesy of Always Shooting
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My boys pick up bad habits occasional. Hmmm, what do I do to deprogram them? That's an interesting question because I hadn't ever thought of it that way before. I usually give them a few warnings and when they don't comply I take away their nintendo. That usually does the trick. But, it funny how all the apologies start flowing only after the Nintendo is gone! :-) Some day they'll learn -- I hope.
I hope mine will learn some day too. I think right now my biggest struggle is that our oldest seems to have no long term memory. She'll keep repeating the same behavior expecting not to get busted.
We rule with a rod in this house. It's pretty effective.
I tried that for a while, then the oldest started becoming immune/almost liking the rod because the punishment was over very quickly. I don't really get it, because growing up in my parents house, that always seemed to do the trick.
Sometimes my son will ask for a spanking, I'm not sure why. I don't think he's serious because when I say ok and grab the spoon he starts to freak out. I spank him anyways. You don't want it, don't ask for it. I think if it ever stops working I'll move to long boring lectures from daddy, and taking away the most beloved video time.
Our "deprogramming" method is a good ole time out in the bedroom, with the gait closed. It is still quite effective because we don't keep toys in our kids room, just books and the furniture. -Jason
That's a good idea.
Do they ever get frustrated and start pounding on the furniture? If so, how do you handle that?
When they get to be teenagers, you have to resort to punishing them with their driving: cutting brake lines, loosening steering columns and things like that. Just kidding. ;-)
But seriously, driving - or the lack thereof - is the most effective tool with my 17 year old. It's the center of her universe.
That's good to know. I've filed that one away for future use.
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