Oh, of course - my brain's not really in that space, but that makes sense. I think it would be different if I were dealing with Other People's Perfect Little Treasures all day, but with my kid I'm mostly coming from the perspective that both rewards and punishments are counterproductive, and whatever he's doing is appropriate to what he needs (or a frustration he's trying to resolve) at the moment. When it is dangerous, or harms other people, I try to redirect that need into a more appropriate venue, and failing that I acknowledge his frustration and hold him while he cries. It sounds like you're doing something similar - it must be especially infuriating when it's someone else's kid and they have all kinds of wacky stuff going on at home that you, in turn, get to deal with. Tricky!

I like the idea of Boredom Parties :)