Punishment: Humiliating or Humorous?

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles via FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I'm sure most of you remember the controversy over a set of parents who used social media to punish their teen's behavior.

Since there are so many different ways to parent, who's to say which way is the right way?

Humor or Humiliate?

(Ohio story)

Which would you choose? Which have you tried? And, in your opinion, which approach do you feel worked best?

Your question for me might be, 'Amber, which do you use?'.

I think that I sometimes use both. Though sometimes seems some would consider it humiliating, I have used gentle sarcasm, timed appropriately, and not in the heat of the moment (only later and never in front of those who I know my child will be embarrassed). Humor? I use that too. But only after things blow over. When I was a kid (9 probably) I remember getting caught playing with matches. I can recall my grandmother making it the first thing she announced to every caller or visitor. I never liked being made fun of or needled about my mistakes when I was a kid (I'm sure you can relate).

To set things straight....

Neither humor nor humility are my chosen tools for discipline.

Because matter how you do it, or when, discipline in it's nature is meant to be a time for education. It is meant to be a short window for a lesson. NOT a time for jokes or embarrassment-because those things don't teach. Well, they do teach your child something....

What you want from them...rather than what you don't want.

I suggest sticking to the Golden Rule:

Do Unto Others as You'd Have Done to You.

Green Punch Buggy....!!!!

Green Punch Buggy...No Punch Back! As I was writing this blog post, my son came to me showing off his Lego creation. And don't you know I got hit at least five times since on my computer screen was displaying at least five different punch buggies, of five different colors thanks to Google Images. (Bad timing I'm thinking...) How can we possibly have world peace with these silly cars in the world!? ;) Don't the owners of these cute-but-obnoxious-cars understand that driving these things around town promotes violence!? ;) Anyhow.... The original purpose of this blog was to ask parents everywhere this question: Do you find yourself saying 'PUNCH BUGGY *BLANK-COLOR*! ' to yourself, even when the kids are not in the car??? I do! Isn't it funny how those games we used to play as a child are still around? I bet our parents say the same thing.... HAPPY FRIIIIIIDAAAAYYYY! P.S. I got hit at least ten more times, since as my son stood beside

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Download “School Boy Being Stressed” by David Castillo Dominici via freedigitalphotos.net I recently wrote about how to help your child if they’re struggling with going back to school because they were bullied. My biggest most important tip was to listen, because I honestly could not write a ‘How-to-make-them-not-afraid’ column. Frankly I thought that was absurd. Fear is sometimes real. Anxiety is sometimes truly there, and for a good reason. Our job as parents isn’t to try to make it go away, it’s to try to find out the true source of those worrisome feelings. If you’d like to read more, click here. And if you’re child is struggling to find excitement about the new school year, don’t deny it, just accept it and move forward gently. Here’s some more on bullying: Family Matters Links: A Touching Story/Song Bullying: A thing of the past A Peace Poem By My Teenage Daughter A Deeper Insight into My Thoughts on People Who Bring Harm to Others Other Links: Stop Bul

Good Customer Service At Home

Over the years, my careers have mainly been customer service based. I started in a family business and then moved on up through the rungs from waitress, to hostess, to sales associate, manager and eventually the GM of a hotel. In all my years, my training taught me that you should always do your best to take your customer all the way to what they need, make them happy, and never leave them until they are done with you. I pride myself on my customer service abilities. Though the other day, I think I failed at customer service in my own home! I was getting ready to cut my daughter's hair and because of how long it had gotten (she's been growing it out for a year!) I felt this time it would be best if instead of me spritzing it with water, she could wash and condition it real quick. She was fully clothed so I just suggested she run into the bathroom and wash her hair in the tub. She’s fourteen. I suppose I just assumed that she knew how to kneel over the tub and do it.

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