Fridge Disk Discipline

Parenting is the most important job we’ll ever do and yet children come without a manual – or a money-back option! This parent guide is an extract from Dr John Irvines’ book "Who’d be a parent? The manual that should have come with the kids!" Dr John Irvine is one of Australia’s most heard and read child psychologists.

To print or download this guide, click here.

How To Use Fridge Disk Discipline

1. Trace around the base of a glass to create two disks and cut them out. Colour one green and the other one red. If the kids are preschoolers then draw a happy face on the green one and a sad face on the red one. If they’re high school age you may care to just use just ordinary rectangles of paper with their name on each, one featuring a tiny sad face.
2. You can use them separately or paste back-to-back.
3. Use a round magnet for the nose, or hold to fridge with any form of magnet anywhere unobtrusive.
4. Have one set for each child over two years of age.
5. When the child is cooperating the disk is on the green/happy side. When the child doesn’t cooperate, tell the child what you’re sad about and then make sure they know that the disk has been flipped to red/sad side.
6. Let the kids know you wont’ be able to cooperate (or give help) because you’re not getting cooperation (or getting help) and pull out of any favours until they have made amends.
7. The way to make amends is to do one or more of the jobs on the Make Up as nominated by parent-so they pay their dues and everyone is happy again. Then flip the disk back to green/happy side.
8. If they won’t’ do the Make Up it means their battery is too tired to have a go, so give them time out in their room for a battery recharge. They can come out when they feel ready, or when the oven timer goes, or whatever systems you decide on.
9. If there is no Make Up, then there are no favours until it’s all sorted out. The line of attack is that they’re good kids and want to sort it out, so what’s wrong?
10. The idea is to keep it fun and let the disks do your shouting for you.

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Fridge Make Up List

How To Use Make Up List

1. To be done with fridge disks-perhaps cover in contact, stick on fridge and use whiteboard pen to cross the ones you want done, or add your own.
2. When done, erase crosses, flick fridge disk to green and you’re back in action
3. Add some more ideas of your own in the blank squares.

These tips are my little effort to help parents regain some confidence and regain some easy authority in their kid’s lives. So who’d be a parent? I hope that you wouldn’t swap it and that your kids know it!

To download or print this Parent Guide 1. Click here Fridge disk discipline
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