Oops. You accidentally broke your mother’s beloved vase when you were playing catch inside. You were immediately grounded and your parents huddled to conspire about a punishment for you. Will they take away your Xbox? Make you clean the front yard? Or even..gasp…make you read a book? No. Lo and behold, they say you can keep your stuff, but under a few conditions: Clean your room, wash the dishes and…polish the plants? Polish the what? That may seem odd to you, but it is the reality of many children and teens across the country. Here are some of the weirdest punishments parents have given their kids at Day Creek:

1. Tree Hugger- “Once, I was forced to hug every tree in the backyard because I told my mom I hated yard work. We had over 20 trees.”

2. Polish the Plants: “When I stole ten dollars from my mom’s purse, as punishment, she made me polish the plants. I had to wipe down all of the cacti and flowers in the house that had collected dust.”

3. Timeout- at age twelve: “A couple of months ago – I think it was when I pushed my brother- my mom made me sit in the corner in my brother’s time-out chair until I ‘calmed my anger down.’”

4. Thrown in the pool- in winter: “After Christmas last year, I took my brother’s new toy gun and shot my dad with it. As punishment for both stealing my brother’s toy and shooting my dad, he made me get into my swim trunks, and go outside. I was still oblivious to what was about to happen- until he picked me up.”

5. Tricked: “My dad used to tell me he built me from spare parts and his other failed attempts of me were in the attic, and if I continued to act up I would have to go live in the attic with the other copies of me.”

6. Go Outside: “ I love to read. So, when I would get into trouble and be sent up to my room, I would just curl up and read a good book. One day, I was sent up to my room and I found my bookshelf padlocked and was forced to go outside and play.

7. No doors:”My mom used to take away my door whenever I was being a little brat.”

8. The Puppy Monster: “When I was little, I was terrified of dogs, but I got a toy robotic pup for my birthday from an aunt. When I got in trouble, my mom would sit me down at the table, scold me, and turn the robot dog on. I’d just start bawling.”

9. Get-Along-Shirt: “My mom made my brother and I do the ‘Get-Along-Shirt’. She bought a Men’s XXXL T-shirt and made my brother and [I] get into it at the same time and be practically joined at the hip until we made up.”

10. Short-Shorts: “I got dress coded for wearing really short shorts for the third time and got a call home. As punishment my dad wore short denim shorts in public and I had to wear a shirt that said ‘I Love My Dad.’”