Something fishy is going on...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Teaching a child a lesson should not involve unnecessary cruelty. You do have to keep a little bit of a distance between your feelings of disappointment and the appropriate response to whatever they have done wrong.

It's difficult to find the appropriate consequence for their bad behavior. I took a parenting class years ago and the instructor said that consequences need to be related to the behavior. For example, if your son leaves out his bike in the driveway instead of putting it in the garage where you've showed and reminded him several times. An appropriate punishment would be to lock up the bike until he earns the privilege to ride it again.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

This thread makes me glad I'm not a parent. I doubt I'm cut out for it. A 5 year old boy kicking a boy with heart problems in the chest, damn I'd go ballistic. Measured responses aren't my style.

[JVKn'CVO 11]

WTG PH. I hate it when parents threaten things and then don't do it. The other day I saw the most amazing thing at the Target in the Bronx, NY. Two kids, aged about 4 and 6, asked their mother for some DVDs that were near the checkout. She looked at the DVDs, explained why they couldn't have them (1. because she told them going into the store that they couldn't buy anything not on the list and 2. because those DVDs show on TV all the time) and, guess what? The kids said OK, respectfully put back the DVDs (saying "excuse me" to get through the crowd at the checkout) and then returned to their mother's side without incident. My jaw totally dropped. That's so rare these days...

They probably saw the "I'm gonna kick your azz" look in their mothers eye.

That was the crazy thing! Everyone was totally calm about the whole thing! It was like the mom *expected* the kids to behave respectfully.

That's the power of communication between parents and kids

My ex's mother used to tell me all the time how she made it a habit since her son was born to talk to him frequently (at least 15 min at day). From "how was your day" to "this is daddy's box of surgical instruments, they can hurt you so you must never try to touch them". He grew up to be very smart and independent, and his mother and he had a great relationship, with a lot of respect for each other.

Parents don't talk to their children anymore, and then are surprised that they grow up to not communicate with them...and are completely lost when they hit their teenage years and they no longer have tools to guide them

Saludos,

Caro

[Alex+R 0]

This thread makes me glad I'm not a parent. I doubt I'm cut out for it. A 5 year old boy kicking a boy with heart problems in the chest, damn I'd go ballistic. Measured responses aren't my style.

I had the same reaction. My stepson would have heart problems, too when I'd be done with him...

[one...two...tree 2,762]

This thread makes me glad I'm not a parent. I doubt I'm cut out for it. A 5 year old boy kicking a boy with heart problems in the chest, damn I'd go ballistic. Measured responses aren't my style.

Being a parent brings out the best and worst in you....and then your children copy you with great accuracy.

[Peikko 1,575]

The kid was 5 though, he probably didn't either kick the kid with any intent at damage, nor understand the significance of heart problems. It was probably bad luck all ways round that he kicked that particular child. I am sure punishment he received was both appropriate and had a very sobering effect on him.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

This thread makes me glad I'm not a parent. I doubt I'm cut out for it. A 5 year old boy kicking a boy with heart problems in the chest, damn I'd go ballistic. Measured responses aren't my style.

Being a parent brings out the best and worst in you....and then your children copy you with great accuracy.

I know the worst of me. Hmm I think I just made up my mind on this kid thing

[one...two...tree 2,762]

This thread makes me glad I'm not a parent. I doubt I'm cut out for it. A 5 year old boy kicking a boy with heart problems in the chest, damn I'd go ballistic. Measured responses aren't my style.

Being a parent brings out the best and worst in you....and then your children copy you with great accuracy.

I know the worst of me. Hmm I think I just made up my mind on this kid thing

I am legend or I am legacy.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

This thread makes me glad I'm not a parent. I doubt I'm cut out for it. A 5 year old boy kicking a boy with heart problems in the chest, damn I'd go ballistic. Measured responses aren't my style.

Being a parent brings out the best and worst in you....and then your children copy you with great accuracy.

I know the worst of me. Hmm I think I just made up my mind on this kid thing

I am legend or I am legacy.

What??

[MissStacey 1]

This thread makes me glad I'm not a parent. I doubt I'm cut out for it. A 5 year old boy kicking a boy with heart problems in the chest, damn I'd go ballistic. Measured responses aren't my style.

Mel and his ex wife were incredibly upset about it. Not only were they upset at their son's behavior- but the fact he could have done some serious harm to that child. I was shocked when Mel told me (I was in Canada at the time)

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

This thread makes me glad I'm not a parent. I doubt I'm cut out for it. A 5 year old boy kicking a boy with heart problems in the chest, damn I'd go ballistic. Measured responses aren't my style.

Being a parent brings out the best and worst in you....and then your children copy you with great accuracy.

I purposely do the opposite of my father for a couple negative traits. He had a lot of positives they I try to emulate though.

[MissStacey 1]

The kid was 5 though, he probably didn't either kick the kid with any intent at damage, nor understand the significance of heart problems. It was probably bad luck all ways round that he kicked that particular child. I am sure punishment he received was both appropriate and had a very sobering effect on him.

True. He didn't know anything about that other boys health. He had never acted out like that before that incident or since it, so thankfully it isn't an ongoing problem.

Edited December 21, 2007 by MissStacey

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I purposely do the opposite of my father for a couple negative traits.

About how old were you when you started to consciously do that?

[Amby 490]

My mom always let my sister and I do whatever we wanted but she never tried to help us get out of problems we got ourselves into. We've both turned out to be quite responsible and well behaved. She talks to us all the time, she read to us all the time.

[no name 1]

My mom always let my sister and I do whatever we wanted but she never tried to help us get out of problems we got ourselves into. We've both turned out to be quite responsible and well behaved. She talks to us all the time, she read to us all the time.

:blink: