Ok Parents: What Would U Do?

[andypanda]

http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/...mom0421-ON.html

Part of me says good for the mom for backing up her threats; the other part of me says... what an idiot. Thoughts?

[RI Builder]

I am going to go with idiot. She should never have made a threat that she could not back up in the first place!

[TheShortAnswer]

idgit. if that was my wife we would be discussing my threat.......the big "D".

[Boz]

I've used the same threat when my kids were that age, and went so far as to pull to the side of the road and open their doors. That alone was always enough; there was never any need to actually make them get out, and I certainly would never have driven off and left them there.

[north coast]

10 and 12?

Good for you mom. They can find their way home ,3 miles, at that age ,no problem. My kids are 11 and 8. My 11 YO is that far from home ,on foot, frequently.What's the big deal? Now,if she had Dropped them in another town ,or far enough away that they didn't know their way home ,that's another story. I'm not saying that I'd do this,(although that and worse have run through my ,and most parents minds,at times I'm sure.),But I don't see what the big deal is. Maybe they'll think twice before torturing mom like that again.

[TheShortAnswer]

Google "sex offender programs" for your area (if you have one). i live in a nice neighborhood on the water in St Pete. Last i checked there were 5 sexual predators living within 1 mile of my house.......yikes. we have reviewed their pics and keep an eye out for them. one actually walks my neighborhood right in front of my house. somehow the sprinkler system comes on just as he walks by.

[trrooster]

Me and my brother made the mistake of fighting in the car ONE time. My mom slammed on brakes and it threw both of us into the floor. While we were in the floor she took out her hair brush( you remember the big ones that you could turn the other way and use as a ping pong pattle) and when to town on us. It didnt matter to her which part of our bodys got in the way ( head, arms, fingers, ear, nose, back, legs ect) she just kept on wailing. She never had to worry about us fighting in the car ever again.

Moral of the story is "Best lessons learned in life are usually the ones learned the hard way"

I dont know if I would of left my children on the side of the road, but I bet she wont have to worry about them fighting in the car ever again.

[Menzies]

I've threatened mine with that but only once did they call me on it. That time one of them refused to put on her seat belt. I pulled over, switched off the engine, put my seat back and rested my eyes. After about 5 minutes of silence she clicked on her seat belt. I started the engine and went on home.

Regarding this case. I have a real hard time seeing how it can be reckless endangerment. Are we saying that kids can't walk 3 or 4 miles? Who is to say that an area is dangerous to kids? Is having your kid walk home from school through a dangerous neighborhood reckless endangerment? So do the police now have to prove that that was a dangerous area, especially in relationship to any other area? Distance from home is really immaterial so long as it was walkable and they knew the way.

Now if the mother knew that they did not know where they were, I get it. But 3 miles from home in their own town?

That's going to be tough to procecute.

Betcha they drop the charges and she gets a warning.

[Surfside]

I know the mother's pain as I have 18 and 16 year old daughters and on many occasions wanted to stop and prove a point while driving but would NEVER make them get out and walk home. Too many crazies out there... God forbid something happens to one of them and I could never have lived with myself knowing something went afoul and it was all because I didn't have the PATIENCE to figure out a better way to drive home my point...

[My Turn]

Personally I think threats are not the way to engage and train your kids. It is all too easy to make a threat that you can't or won't back up. This trains your kid to believe they can get away with whatever inappropriate behavior and the only consequece is they have to listen to your hollow threats. What I try to do is let him know in no uncertain terms that certain behavior will not be tolerated, I do this by applying appropriate punishment with no "advance warning" or threat. And no, I am not a child beater, in fact my 15 year old could probably kick my ass.

If I think the situation warrants a warning, I give him the silent icy stare. he gets the message every time.

Maybe I am lucky but my son is extremely well behaved for the most part and is a straight A student in school.