*Warning: Mean Parent Alert. Please don't continue reading this if you don't adhere to the motto, "Let the punishment fit the crime."
Someone in our house doesn't have a door to her room. I'm not naming names, because I just wouldn't do that sort of thing. However, as I stated, SHE doesn't have a door to her room. She had a door, and then it went away.
Why, you might ask, would someone in our family not have a door? Wood allergy? Religious objections? Irrational fear of doorknobs (knobaphobia?!?)?
No, dear ones. The reason SHE does not have a door is because SHE likes to SLAM doors. In our house, having a door is a privilege. It is not a right. Of course, door removal is not a permanent condition...unless you have a delinquent repeat offender. Not that anyone in my house fits in that category. Hmm.
A door is a very important thing to have if you are a ten-year-old girl. Especially if you have two brothers who like to stand in the hall and look in your general direction. (Oh, the utter horror that is her life.) Said girl might become highly motivated to recover her door using privileges.
So, my friends, bask in the glory that is silence and remove the slamming offender's door. It's delightfully devious and IT WORKS!
Don't forget to thank Shannon at Rocks In My Dryer for linking us up and, please, don't slam the door on your way out.
I have a door slammer as well and I've been so tempted to do this. Sooooo very tempted.
Posted by: Summer | October 16, 2007 at 08:37 PM
love it. love it.
okay -- so what to do about people who slam the FRONT door...hmm...can't take that one off. still working on this problem. i'm thinking a nicely worded sign like "slam or die." what do you think!?:-)
Posted by: phyllis | October 16, 2007 at 08:38 PM
Oh yes, this is a great one. So far my nine year old hasn't figured that out and the only door that gets slammed is the bathroom door (which is NOT coming off). She does not, however, have a working doorknob which makes slamming so much less enjoyable. Come to think of it, neither does my husband's office--he has been known to slam it a few times and it broke and I can't fix it without replacing the door. :) As I said, it makes slamming so much less enjoyable when the door knob doesn't latch.
Posted by: Heather | October 16, 2007 at 08:49 PM
Hey, are you trying to take my "Meanest Mom in The World" title away from me? Good luck, according to my daughter it is mine for life. Sometimes, we have to get a bit drastic to get their attention, don't we! Good job, fellow "Mean Mom"
Posted by: aggiema | October 16, 2007 at 08:52 PM
Oh, that is sooo good!
Posted by: Lady Why | October 16, 2007 at 09:02 PM
We did this several years ago when the kids were sharing a room and got mad at each other a lot. It stayed in the shed for like a year or something, I forget now. LOL
Posted by: Demeter | October 16, 2007 at 09:18 PM
Oooooo, you are a "mean mama"! Way to use "Love and Logic" and natural consequences.
Let us know how it all pans out. :)
Posted by: Kathy in WA | October 16, 2007 at 10:23 PM
Thankfully, I don't have any "door slammers" in my house, but if I did, your idea is brillant! I'm all about let the punishment fit the crime. Good One!
Posted by: Georgia Mom | October 17, 2007 at 03:08 AM
My kids slam the front door. If they do, they have to open and shut it properly ten times. All the way open, and all the way shut.
It works for any age!
Posted by: Milehimama | October 17, 2007 at 03:53 AM
My 7 year old occasionally slams a door too. I believe we will institute this next time ourselves.
Posted by: Melissa | October 17, 2007 at 04:11 AM
P.S. Forgot to say that I appreciated your stopping by and I hope my increasing traffic suggestions are helpful to you!
Posted by: Melissa | October 17, 2007 at 04:12 AM
That is so perfect! Great love and logic solution. My uncle hated his kids slamming the door and he put on one of those self-closing hinges, so no matter how hard they slammed they couldn't go any faster than the self-closing hinge could go. They had six kids...
Posted by: Stephanie | October 17, 2007 at 06:30 AM
My dad actually did this to me once when I was in high school. I didn't slam my door anymore after that. Not after having to get dressed in either the bathroom or my closet for a week. I will slam a door now and then when I'm really mad. Thankfully none of my boys are door slammers. This is a good tip. Take it from Nazi Mom. I swear one of these days my boys are going to make me a pink swastika button to wear to signify the level of my Nazi Mom status. Ta for now dahling!
Posted by: PinkJeweledCat | October 17, 2007 at 08:06 AM
I love it! I think the punishment definitely fits the crime!
Posted by: Tiffany | October 17, 2007 at 08:13 AM
Found yor blog via WFMW. Glad I did.
Posted by: TX Poppet | October 17, 2007 at 09:59 AM
First time reader here.
My kids are out of the house now, but when they were younger, I always made them close and open the door 10 times the correct way whenever they slammed it. Same for stomping up and down the stairs. If they got a little attitudinal toward the end, as oft they did, they had to start over. They hated me for it. They also swear to use it on their own kids when they get old enough. Good luck!
Posted by: Angela | October 17, 2007 at 10:08 AM
Like Angela, we've made our oldest open and close a door 'nicely' 10 times. But, I will reserve this tip in my brain - for I am afraid it will need to be utilized in the upcoming teen years...
Thanks for the tip!
Posted by: Texastanya | October 17, 2007 at 10:28 AM
Good idea. So far we don't have door slammers. My kids don't have a door on the bedroom because I fear they'd shut their fingers in it. And not having a door frees up more space in the room. But my kids are all 5 1/2 and under. They may desire a door later on.
Posted by: Nikki | October 17, 2007 at 01:04 PM
I was just talking to a friend about this. Her daughter just lost the priviledge to have a bedroom door. I have three kids and I am sure this is going to happen someday soon.... I love your thought process and follow-through!
Posted by: Christy | October 17, 2007 at 02:30 PM
Am so glad I'm not the only one to think of this. My 4 year old boy is a slammer--or was, until I explained that I gave him the door and could take it away. Now when he forgets, the slam is usually followed by "OOPS! Sorry, Mommy, I forgot! Please don't take down my door!"
And the funniest thing is, since he's only 4, he likes it open ALL THE TIME anyway--unless he's slamming it in anger! (Or, come to think of it, to annoy his little brother.) I guess some little part of his soul knows that someday he might like some privacy.
Posted by: O | October 17, 2007 at 08:22 PM
Similar to what I do, well kinda.. when one of my kids stomps up the stairs I make them come back down again and go up quietly. Boy does that make them mad! LOL
Posted by: Jennifer | October 18, 2007 at 05:23 PM
I have had to do this in the past too. Recently my 8 yr decided although he would not slam the door, he would lock it. He knew I could pop the lock but the defiance of locking the door in the first place caused the doorknob to be removed for about a month. Guess you can let your dd lots of moms on your side here.:)
Posted by: Adena (cre82learn) | October 19, 2007 at 02:19 PM
I love this and will keep it in mind when my kids are older. Man, I think we could be friends.
Posted by: Jill | October 19, 2007 at 08:33 PM