I am always impressed and amazed by the creative solutions parents and families find to solve problems.

This creative and elegant solution came from a family I once worked with.

Her son had his own telephone and an answering machine that had been provided for him. They decided that every time their son violated his telephone privileges, he would put the following on his answering machine or cell phone that said, “Hi, this is John. I have violated my telephone privileges and I cannot speak with you today. So please leave a message and let me know. I’ll talk at school tomorrow. “

This one worked so well that they only had to use it twice.

Another solution created by the family

Another family has learned to interrupt calls at certain times of the night. After that time, non-emergency calls for your child will not be accepted. They define an emergency as something that would cause imminent physical or emotional harm.

If you try these solutions and they don’t work, or you’re saying to yourself, “That would never work for my family!” which could indicate a problem that requires professional assistance.

Some people may see the phone as a small problem. But I think it is important to manage a small problem well. It’s good practice for the bigger problems ahead.