If you’re tired of yelling at your kids and never getting the results you want, there just may be another way. A mother of three from Singapore recently shared her alternative punishment system, lovingly dubbed the “Jar of Pain,” that gets kids where it really hurts – their wallet. Two weeks later, it has gone viral.
Leza Klenk, creator of the “Jar of Pain,” is a mother of a teenager, pre-teen and nine-year-old who says she hates raising her voice and does not hit her kids. So, she created a system based on the age-old “swear jar” and added consequences for a range of household “offenses.”
Small offenses - things like leaving the table while the rest of the family is still eating or not hanging a used towel up in the bathroom - incurs a fine of $0.50. More egregious offenses, such as making a lot of noise before bedtime or not getting homework done, will cost kids one dollar.
“In the end… they will feel the pain of losing their gadgets and money, so automatically they will learn,” Klenk said.
It’s not all bad, though. At the end of the month, funds from the jar are used to fund a family dinner or activity.
Is all this starting to sound like something you might want to put into practice? Klenk does offer up one important tip: don’t let your list of fines get too long. “This puts children under pressure, thinking they are always on thin ice,” she said. “Just reasonable possible 'crimes' but bear in mind to also let them be mischievous and creative as children. Kids don't grow best in very #regimented households.”
So, what do you think? Is it time to bring the "pain?"
(PHOTO: Getty Images)