Advice given to me years ago by a wise pediatrician saved me a lot of back pedaling. "Don't threaten to do something if you don't really mean it." I remembered his words often in the course of raising children and teaching school.
Sometimes when truly frustrated, it's human nature to put some consequences in place that aren't really doable. For example, telling an entire class that they will all miss lunch if someone doesn't immediately come forward and confess to some unacceptable behavior only puts the teacher in the hot seat if the guilty student remains quiet. A teacher at our school warned her class that they would all stay in their seats when the final bell rang if their behavior did not improve. She stood by her decision and caused all of them to miss the bus. Needless to say, the principal and a lot of parents were not happy.
It's easy to get frustrated and say the first thing that comes to mind. The moment the words come out of my mouth, I scramble for a way to shove them back in and go with another plan. However, kids are like elephants and never forget the things we wish we had not said. When adults are indecisive or come up with outlandish threats, kids sometimes enjoy pushing the envelope. I have heard students say that they love it when a teacher gets mad and seems to go out of control. It's not always easy to stay calm and set reasonable consequences, but it's definitely worth it and makes life a whole lot easier.
