Mom Punishes Son...People Complain

[thegiraffe]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23049975/

The basic gist is that a 14 year-old student stole his teacher's cell phone, and as punishment, his mother made him stand on an intersection by school holding a sign telling everyone what he did. I think it's brilliant, though unconventional.

[Saydrah]

Hahaha! Ouch!

Gotta wonder if she's teaching him not to steal, or just not to get caught, though.

[thegiraffe]

That's true, but he'll think twice next time regardless.

[Crazeyal]

Anyone who thinks this is excessive or abusive should go visit a prison. Hope they notice the 17 year olds.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

"I think it's terribly wrong. I think it's awful to humiliate a child like that," another driver said.

I sincerely hope that person isn't a parent.

[PepperElf]

it's nothing worse than what one judge did to two teens who'd been collecting money for the victims of 9-11....only to pocket the money for themselves instead.

they had to stand in the mall where they collected, bearing signs reading "I stole from the victims of 9-11". Since the younger of the two was still a minor he had to wear a bag over his head.

not sure what happened to the money they collected though.


i don't see that what the mother did was harsh - embarassing yes... but hey, if the kid hadn't stolen the phone it wouldn't have happened in the first place...so she only has herself to blame.

[itt3ch]

Here's the video of him standing in traffic holding the sign:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_hlF2WPGGg

[ArcticChicken]

Well, now I know how I'm punishing my future kids for the big stuff.
A little public humiliation goes a long way.

[Rine]

I only have a little concern for those kids that are given these types of punishments. There are very crazy people out there. What's to stop them from hurting the kids (throwing rocks or other objects) at them from a passing car and the like? This is the only reason I personally wouldn't do this to my future kids. If I wanted to punish them publically, I would make them do community work or something. More of a controlled environment, you know?

Other than that, if this is how a parent wants to punish their child, more power to them.

[powerboy]

The kid is going to learn a good lesson

[Plaidman]

XD HA! It was sorta like I was punished by my mom when she found out I was stealing. Cept mine was far worst.

Every time I went into a store with her, if I touched ANYTHING at all, she'd talk VERY LOUDLY

"YOU GOING TO PAY FOR THAT? WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING IT IF YOU HAVE NO MONEY! YOUR NOT GOING TO STEAL IT RIGHT?"

For Over a year. She made my sister, grandparents, aunts, uncles do the same.

Strangly enough I never stoled again. I wonder why.

[Emrld]

I seriously doubt this youth will try something like stealing his teachers phone again by the time his Mom thinks he has learned his lesson.
However the child of the parent that felt the punishment was abusive will most likely be visiting her child behind bars before the next 10 years pass.
Seriously it isn't like the parent caused any physical harm to her child. Embaressment is not harmful. It sounds like this is a Mother that praises her Child when they do good. The sign tells it like it is. (If the sign said something like - I am stupid I stole my Teachers phone and got caught- I would have a problem with the sign but not the punishment)

[tropicsgoddess]

Kudos to the mom for teaching her son a lesson instead of turning the other cheek. Public humiliation really does set people straight.

[crazylegs]

I think the mother has it spot on, she is not only punishing her child in a *very* effective manner, but according to the (addmitadly meagre) video she is also supervising the punishment.

Gold Star to her methinks

[Boozy]

However the child of the parent that felt the punishment was abusive will most likely be visiting her child behind bars before the next 10 years pass.

I think that's a bit extreme.

My parents would have been appalled by the use of public shaming as a tool for discipline. They may not have called it abusive, but its definitely not something they'd have felt comfortable with. They felt that disciplining their children was a private matter.

And they raised four children, none of whom have ever had trouble with the law.

There's more than one way to raise a good citizen.