A Business Proposal

We love Love and Logic.  It is a parenting system that works great for our kids.  I love it's slant toward natural consequences and child-led punishment.  Removing my children from a situation that they most certainily want to be in, due to misbehaviors on their part, works so well. 

For example, it only took a few times of us dropping everything and leaving the park for my kids to realize that they can't run amok at the park.  Our rule is "feet stay in the rocks (near the play equipment), or we leave." They know this, occasionly it takes a gentle reminder, but they know we'll leave if they don't follow the rules.  It works great, but enter my problem.  I don't go to the park with one kid, I go there with three (oftentimes four), and it's usually only one that's causing trouble.  That means everyone is punished for one child's misbehavior, and I don't like that.  Even if it works, I don't like it.

It's not a problem unique to Love and Logic, most parenting books are geared toward disciplining one child.  I propose a drop-off childcare situation that isn't fun.  Like a big, supervised time out.  The child that's misbehaving goes there, the rest of us get to have fun.  Problem solved.  In fact, I'm sure I'd only need to use the place a handful of times before my kids caught on.  They're quick like that.

Of course, the other alternative is to clone myself.  Maybe I should get to work on that instead?