Glue as Discipline

Glue is a wonderful discipline tool. On Wednesday a very difficult child decided to anoint himself with glue, spreading it out across his hands like hand cream. “I have to go, go, go, to wash my hands,” said he with his paper undone.

“No,” said the teacher knowing that the child was finding a way to disrupt her class, “You can get a tissue.”

Well everyone knows what a tissue and glue is like, and in a few minutes so did the child. He was entrapped in a mess of glue and tissue which covered his hands like a paper glove. “I have to wash this off,” said the child who still hadn’t looked at his paper.

“It will come off,” said the teacher, “You just have to work at it.”

All during story time, the child worked to get the glue and tissue off his hands. He was quiet, respectful and actually listened for a few minutes to the story. When the story was over, the glue had dried and had pealed off the child’s hands.

The next day, the teacher figured the child would avoid smearing glue all over his hands. But the child did the same thing. “I have to wash this mess off,” insisted the child.

“Just get a tissue,” said the teacher. The child looked at her as if she was crazy. It was a duel to the end. The child spent the next story time pealing glue off his hands.

The consequences of a deliberately disruptive action rested not once but twice on a child. Did he really think that he could do the same thing twice and because he had been duped the first time, would be excused the second time? Not at the Garden School.

If that’s the case, then if he lashes out and hurts someone a first time, should he be excused the second? The responsibilities of someone’s actions count every time, and that’s what the little boy is learning.

I love this story. I love being consistent with the kids. The bigger the rock, the higher the climb, the greater the joy when we reach the top.