Nail Biting - Nay Nay!

My imagination has almost run out. I am in desperate need of ideas to use to put my five-year old boy in place when his energy runs super-high. Soft parenting theories, timeouts to occasional taps - no proven consistent success. 

One thing I swear by in recent times is scaring him with the police. I have told him there are cameras everywhere - some have been installed by the police and some by God. He knows he is monitored most of the time. He is in trouble, beyond my solving capacity, if he misbehaves in stores, runs on roads or basically pushes his mother to her limit. The fact that her limits can vary is another story but that’s not what we are talking about here.

Using the cops has been working well. The first time he bites his nails, the germs are going to get him. The second time, the doctors are going to poke him. The third time, the police are out to get him for having disobeyed his mommy and the doctor! Sigh. It is indeed a challenge to make up stories bordering believable and scary and to top it all to seem logical too. What was fearful to us as kids is illogical and stupid to ours. The learning continues. 

Guards everywhere in sight. Starched uniforms and sober staff in stone buildings. I was meeting my classmate who confused, shocked and made us all proud by being a doctor and then turning a cop.

I sat there with paramount confidence that I finally had, in flesh and blood, someone to point to and put an end to all my minor daily miseries. Though totally impossible, I was secretly hoping he would brandish a pistol and shoot all trouble at sight. As my cop friend went on with his business, I casually explained to my son how serious the situation is and how he really needs to wrap up throwing tantrums unreasonably. He watched me intently and we were ready to test what we had just learnt. 

We turned and looked up at my friend, waiting for him to get a brief break so we could catch up. I almost froze in my chair visualizing the questions I would have to answer.

The cop was biting his nails.