Mom Makes Teen Stand on Street With Sign

**Kimberlina** · 11-17-2005, 04:28 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051117/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

The child psychologist says it might cause permanent emotional damage, but I have to tell you, I think it is better than just letting the kid screw up her whole life....

**Dedlered** · 11-17-2005, 04:29 PM

I have to agree with you Kimberly.. being the mother of a 13 yo who thinks that he is 31

**Kimberlina** · 11-17-2005, 04:30 PM

But I should add, before this goes off in the wrong direction, I would never, ever do this to my child. Hopefully we would never let things slip that far in the first place.

**Dedlered** · 11-17-2005, 04:36 PM

Nor would I, I just agree that it's better than letting the child go off in the wrong direction

**Kimberlina** · 11-17-2005, 04:38 PM

Laura, I was replying when you were- I never assumed you would do this to your kid. We're all good!

**forestdale** · 11-17-2005, 04:43 PM

There are many things I would do without embarrassing my child like that. It seems like a very drastic, ill considered way of dealing with a teenager.

**midwestgal** · 11-17-2005, 04:43 PM

Having lived through 4 teen children and 4 teen exchange students who lived with us too, I could commiserate with the Mom! It never came to that in our house, but those teens could sometimes just drive me nuts! Anyway, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Sometimes caring parents just take a proactive stance, and it looks like this mom did.

**Dedlered** · 11-17-2005, 04:44 PM

Oh Kim, I knew that

I just didn't want anyone else to think that I was a cruel mom

**Kimberlina** · 11-17-2005, 05:16 PM

Rhonda, I do get what you are saying. I wonder, though, what else this mother already tried. The article did say they made her drop extra-curricular activities to no avail. I wonder if she had tried anything else. A chat with the school psychologist might have helped.

**forestdale** · 11-17-2005, 05:51 PM

I do hope this wasn't her first course of action, Kimber. It still reeks of desperation and not wise mothering to me.

**many houseapes** · 11-17-2005, 06:40 PM

kids of all ages absolutely hate to be embarrassed...especially the "cool teenager"....a little story of my own.....when my oldest was in 5th grade(we hadn't started homeschooling yet), he started down that slope...after trying various methods, I found one that truly worked on him...I told him...."if you choose to behave in such an inappropriate manner, then I suppose that your momma will have to come to your school and babysit you....when you are in class, I will sit beside you all the while, holding your hand...when you go for bathroom breaks, I will walk you to the bathroom,holding your hand, when you break for lunch, I will accompany you to the cafeteria holding your hand, when you go out for recess to play with your friends, I will be right there, holding your little hand......so it is your choice, young man, what you want to do."....I never had to make my appearance in his classroom...all it took was the threat of being embarrassed in front of his friends to make him behave...and it worked! The funny thing about this story is that I had prepared the teachers as to what I was planning..and they were all behind me 100%!

**Lori Biever-Launder** · 11-17-2005, 11:01 PM

I'll be the meany here. I WOULD do this to my kids if nothing else had worked. I don't think it would do permanent damage. I would rather my kid have one bad day instead of having to visit him in prison down the road.

**Renee-2kids** · 11-18-2005, 12:01 AM

What about the emotional damage to her classmates and teachers!? It wouldn't be my first choice, but I'm not going to blast that mom either!

**many houseapes** · 11-18-2005, 12:55 AM

to be honest, I think the mom did well....and it is working....I know that I'm going to make others mad at me here for saying this.., but I really don't care.....what really makes me so very irritated is what these so called "child experts" are saying about the psycological/self-esteem/emotional/whatever damage" that doing something like this causes...........

...they even dare to call it abuse, which i believe is absurd.............the real psycological ,and sometimes other types of abuse, that is inflicted upon our children comes from the garbage that the public schools are teaching them.

**Michelle** · 11-18-2005, 07:21 AM

I don't think we know the whole story (e.g. everything else the mother tried before resorting to this). If she only took away extracurricular activities, then that's really sad that she did such a thing to her dd.

Originally posted by forestdale
There are many things I would do without embarrassing my child like that. It seems like a very drastic, ill considered way of dealing with a teenager.