My crazy parenting style.

I bet most of you don't know this about me but I have what some might call a crazy parenting style. I do think that parents are parents and children need to respect parents. The thing that might put me in the crazy lady name is my punishments. I do have to be harsh sometimes but not often. I choose to come up with ways to stop things before they turn into something big that needs a harsh punishment.

note...... I don't think my way is RIGHT or that anyone is wrong!!! I have a lot to learn still and I am only writing what works for me right now! I might change my thinking next year, next week, or tomorrow. Right now the method I use came from my Mom. She didn't use the exact same punishments but the same way of thinking.

When my 6 year old runs, jumps, or gets ants in his pants I send him out in our yard to run laps. I have him run as fast as he can 5 laps in the yard. If he uses a LOUD voice inside he has to run laps in the front yard and sing or yell as loud as he can for 5 laps. I feel that my son is VERY ACTIVE! Not in a bad way it is just how God created him. I don't feel that making him lay in his bed, sit in a chair, or spanking the right punishment for him when he is bouncing around and only needs to burn off some of his energy. I don't have time to scold and correct him all day long. I need that time to teach him his school work, care for his little sister, clean the house, cook meals, hang clothes and all the other stuff on my list. This works well for us. If he gets mouthy at ALL when I tell him to do 5 laps he has to do 6. If he does a maawww do I HAVE to? It goes up another. I will cheer him on with his laps sometimes. I will stand on the porch and say WOW! You are running fast! When he gets in I ask him if he ran out the energy or does he need to go back out. He always says he ran all his extra energy out. He is happy. I am happy. For my family it is a win win happy solution. I find that I can get back to our school work quicker this way.