Disciplining Dumb Son
Jun 15th, 2007 by mom
Always on the lookout for interesting news stories featuring moms, today I found a story about a mom punishing her son, who she knew had just been smoking marijuana. She made the 16-year-old boy stand on a busy street corner in Sacramento, CA, for almost 8 hours holding a sign that said, “I’m stupid, I smoke weed, marijuana.”
The news report says that onlookers had mixed reactions, from supportive, to thinking it excessive punishment. However, she stuck to her guns, and the son understood saying, “I feel like my mom cares enough about me to do this, she loves me.” I’m glad I don’t have to deal with these issues yet, and hope I won’t ever have to.
I think it boils down to the son’s response. It seems to have worked.
Tagging you for a me-me, if you have time:)
I say good for her! If more parents did things like that, we might not have as many problems with our youth today. The punishment needs to fit the crime, and I would say this was perfect.
I agree with Chrissy. If it’s peer pressure or the humiliation of not doing the same as “everyone else” that makes kids try drugs than some humiliation in the other direction might make him think about it. Although I would have worded the sign slightly different, “I did something stupid” instead of, “I’m stupid”. Maybe the harsher wording makes it more effective though.