I'd have taken every single item the kids had touched, returned it to the boxes..and told the kids (in a VERY LOUD VOICE) that those boxes are not theirs to play with, the items in them are not toys...and if they didn't get out of the room and go back to the party...things would get ugly REALLY QUICKLY!!!


I did that with all the sharpies, and other pens once I discovered what they were up to. I never knew where the multiple post-it's went till after the escapades. John later told me the boys had been writing "kick me" on them and sticking them on the girls, and the girls were writing bad things about boys in retaliation and sticking them in the ladies bathroom. Those were all discovered later. Problem was, I would grab the sharpies and then the 10 year old would try to grab something else, etc. I eventually won and only lost one sharpie pen in the process, no clue where it wound up.

When I did yell, that was what got Katie and Trenna running over there to remove the children. Part of me wished I had yelled the first time, but mom and my sister used to think I was mean to children. I don't mean to be mean, I just lose my patience quickly, and they only seem to ever listen to me when I yell.

I remember once I had to help mom in Sunday school, and there were about 7 children there. Mom asked me to watch them while going into another room. They began to race around the table. I started grabbing children, one at a time and plopped them into their chairs and ordered them in a loud voice to stay there. They were scared to death and didn't move. Mom returned and wondered what on earth I had done to them, and I said, all I had done was put them back in their chairs.

I've tried to cope with children better due to being around a lot more family in the last three years, and I do better, but I still don't handle multiple kids at once in misbehaving situations.

Of course...all the kids think I'm mean...and quite frankly that suits my purposes well.


It used to suit mine, and it still seems to be the only thing that works. But you can't even spank or discipline children anymore nowadays without risking problems, something about you aren't allowed to spank or discipline other people's children. I remember that has all changed, and even teachers can't spank them nowadays.

But believe me, I wanted to grab each child and put them outside the door nearby, (where everyone else was), just like Wilma puts Fred outside in the cartoon. ;) I just restrained myself.

Brenda