Maryland Boy Learns Lesson With "Homeless" Sign Punishment

[33girl]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

I've heard of this being done in a few different instances and, in each one, the teens learned nothing. I find that kids can be pretty short-sighted. Honestly, sacrifice has to be freely given for it to mean anything. If it's done by force, the message is totally lost in a lot of cases.

Originally Posted by ZTAOnlytheBest

I just wanted to add that I think volunteering used as punishment is a bad idea. Then it teaches the kid that it's only punishment, not something they should willingly do. Or at least it seems to me that it would. I've never experienced it so I can't really say.

I agree completely. This is why I think forcing high school students to complete community service as a graduation requirement is a terrible idea.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by christiangirl

I've heard of this being done in a few different instances and, in each one, the teens learned nothing.

Those teens are probably dumb in general. As with anything else in life, some children will get it and some will not.

A smart parent will make volunteering a positive teaching moment rather than yelling at the child and telling the child that volunteering is only being done to make the child's life a living hell. It has been done.

[Mevara]

The punishment may not fit the crime but at least he is doing something.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by Mevara

The punishment may not fit the crime but at least he is doing something.

The existence of punishment is a big deterrent for behavior. But the details of the punishment tend to shape how seriously both the act and the punishment are taken. That applies to corporal punishment and other forms of punishment for children.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Mevara

The punishment may not fit the crime but at least he is doing something.

But that something may be teaching son a different lesson from the one dad wants to teach him.