Toodling around the internet has it’s advantages.  I love the availability of technology now, to enhance our everyday lives.  I recently came across a very simple software program that is designed to help us parent better.  Really!

The Better Behavior Wheel is a simple computer program you drop on your computer desktop, where it sits, just waiting to help you out.  When your child acts up, rather than getting upset and trying to come up with yet another consequence for an offense, you can bring him over to the computer and tell them to “Spin the Wheel”. It’s like Wheel of Fortune, but for the fact that they are spinning to find out the consequence for their actions.  My kids think that this is quite fun, and acted up several times the first day, just to see what they would come up with when they spun.

It comes with 80 pre-programmed consequences.  Some of them really didn’t fit us. That’s okay, because with just a click or two, I was able to delete the text and type in my own.  And this screenshot is great. It’s for the child who always forgets to turn off her bedroom light.  Some of the punishments were things I hadn’t thought of before, like this one. Others were either too old or something else. Fully editable, it does not matter what they say to start with. The infractions are editable, and there is also a customizable Wheel of Just Desserts, for rewards.

From the website:

Notice that you’re not the bad guy here. The rule of turning off the lights was agreed to by your child. And now it’s the Wheel that has to be answered to. You can be impartial in the process. You can even root for the child, hoping for an easy consequence.

Here’s what you get with the virtual wheel:

The Wheel – This is the download version of the wheel that you can use on your computer within minutes of placing your order.

80 Consequences – the Wheel comes pre-loaded with 80 consequences. Use the ones included or make up ones of your own. There is an easy to use built in menu so that you can customize the Wheel for your family. When you spin the wheel, a randomly generated consequence is displayed, accompanied by an appropriate cool sound.

8 Themes – The wheel comes with the following themes, but you may want to create your own:

• Excessive Arguing
• Leaving the lights on
• Not putting things away
• A job poorly done
• S-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g the truth
• Taking without asking
• Talking back
• Wheel of Just Desserts

It’s easy to make up your own themes and consequences if these don’t fit.

If you are looking for some help in the area of dishing out consequences, and you’d rather not always be the bad guy, this program may be just what you’re looking for.

Disclosure:  This review was done voluntarily, and the opinion expressed is my own. I received one copy of the software for review purposes.