Dad shoots daughter's laptop

[X]

There's a good phrase I've always kept in mind for a variety of times...

"Praise in public, punish in private."

My mother had another saying. Don't let your mouth write a check that your ass can't cash. Meaning that there were consequences for the things we said and if we didn't want to feel those consequences, we'd watch what we had to say. We most certainly wouldn't air it in public.

Then again my mother also had the child abuse number on a fridge magnet and told us that if we ever felt that we were being abused to feel free to call the number. She then noted that she would then whup our butts and anyone investigating the call.

As a single mother, she ruled with an iron first to keep us out of trouble and it worked. I was 9 the last time I was whupped, but it was a constant reminder of my needing to behave or if I was going to be stupid, to be discrete enough to never let her find out. Silence for self preservation seems to have skipped the last few generations.

I'm a big fan of corporal punishment and my daughter knows it. The threat of that punishment is far greater than the spanking itself could ever be. I also, think that all of these wild kids popping up everywhere is directly related to the reduction or cessation of corporal punishment.

When we messed up in school, we got a wooden paddle to our butts. There wasn't a such thing as talking it out or being placed into timeout. We got paddled and pain, it seems, is an excellent tool in deterring unbecoming behavior.

[Rico]

Chris, we obviously have very different ideas and experiences on things related to this.  Physically harming a child is not something I would ever consider.  And my two sons turned out just fine, didn't act out in school, got very good grades and are great (IMHO).  This is a bit off from the original topic, but I suppose it is connected - to a degree.  I just think there are much better ways to deal with issues like this.

[X]

Chris, we obviously have very different ideas and experiences on things related to this.  Physically harming a child is not something I would ever consider.  And my two sons turned out just fine, didn't act out in school, got very good grades and are great (IMHO).  This is a bit off from the original topic, but I suppose it is connected - to a degree.  I just think there are much better ways to deal with issues like this.

I here what you're saying, but I think it is different a bit. My father spanked me once in my entire life and that was enough to keep me from ever wanting to get spanked by him again. It wasn't even a hard spanking, but it resonated. I don't see anything wrong with tough love because of it. My thought is that in the real world, people won't be giving you timeouts when you mess up. That's why I can relate to this story. The kid wasn't harmed at all in any physical way, but now known beyond a shadow of a doubt that violations of the rules will result in punishment. Do something too stupid and you might end up in jail or prison where punishment and life is far far away from a timeout. I think that the punishment should fit the crime and in this case, it certainly did.

She went to the web to embarrass the family with lies. She was confronted and sentenced on the forum that she chose to pull the family into. I've grown up with seeing similar hair of the dog punishments. Get busted drinking? Get forced in the morning to do lots of work under noisy conditions while sporting a hangover.

But yeah, I agree that we have different ideas and experiences. When kids in my neighborhood got into a fight, the parents would be there to make sure that no one got too hurt and at the end, the kids had to make up and go play.

[PortlandJosh]

My first reaction was: This guy is a jerk, with a dorky hat.  (Alpha dog personality with a touch of Little Man Syndrome.)  Second reaction:  Teenage girls are a pain in the arse.   Third reaction: This guy is a jerk.  Fourth reaction:  I'm glad you were not my Dad, cause I would want to write snotty drivel about you too.   Final reaction:  Teenage girls are lazy *and* stupid.  OH America.... I'm so proud.  :andorian: