Are your children at an age where they can read and write complete sentences? Rather than just giving them the same ol’ discipline when they misbehave, why not have your child put together an essay on what he did wrong and how he will do things differently in the future? Writing a paper will not only force your kids to think about their indiscretion, but it will enhance their grammatical skill as well. Make sure the essay is done to the best of their ability. And don’t forget to let them know they are forgiven and loved, perhaps in a written note back to them.
Here are some tips for writing essays:
- Decide on your topic. A paper on character or why a certain action is bad would be a great topic.
- Have your kids prepare an outline or diagram of your ideas.
- Have your kids write a thesis statement. The thesis statement tells the reader what the essay will be about and what point the author will be making.
- Have your kids write the body and include main points and subpoints.
- You may want to help your kids write the introduction and conclusion so you can go over their essay together and thoroughly discuss their misbehavior and how to resolve it.
Related Resource: 10 Ways to Discipline Your Child
Should we start having our kids write essays when they disobey? What should the guidelines be?