How were you (or your kids) diciplined?

[adrian]

Being in a filipino family, my Mom told me about the many ways grandma (her Mom) would "dicipline" her. She would get on her knees ontop of a bed of rice, and hold a heavy object in her hands (I forgot what were they) and stay like that for a while.

When I was small, we'd used to get slappings, but on occasion, if we really screw up or talk back to them, we'd get either a back scratcher (Arakawas had a lot of those) or if need be, my Dad would bust out his 1-2 inch thick belt for the serious ones.

All of the boys in the family had the belt at one time (mine was talking back to my Dad about my grades) but my sister didn't experience that (probably because she's a girl).

[Mocha]

Re: How were you (or your kids) diciplined?

I'm old but remember being spanked. I was always late at coming home and doing chores...then it was being denied allowance (that hurt). I spanked my kids and even made one of my boys chew soap for swearing (he had a period where the "f" word was part of every sentence). Some of my kids knew kids that NEVER were spanked...they were diciplined by words only...wonder how they are as adults. Now if you hit your kids they claim child abuse...give me a break!

[craigwatanabe]

Re: How were you (or your kids) diciplined?

The belt...buckle side!
Hand slap...back side
Pinched ears
Spatula before Teflon coated pans made metal ones obsolete.

That was my discipline

My kids get the really long lectures and that's typically enough but when they really don't listen, it's a single sharp stinging slap on the okole then the really long lecture followed by a hug and forgiveness (that's important that even though the child felt shamed by whatever sort of discipline was given, that you as their parent still love them). All kids love their parents until you give them a good reason why they shouldn't and that's when the hate and troubled childhood begin.

Take it from a parent of six boys from 10-months to 20-years...be good role models to your kids and discipline will be a rare occurance. Your kids attitude are a direct reflection of your ability to raise your children. Harsh words for some but important ones.

One of my co-workers once complained to me about his teenage kid's attitude saying: I don't know what the F@#k is wrong with my kid. He drinks with his friends (the father drinks til he drops at dinner), he swears (the father uses the "F" word with every breath), he doesn't do his homework (the father comes home and just eats, drink and sleeps), he gets into fights at school (the father beats his kids up daily), and he doesn't care about anything! (the father doesn't get involved with his kid's school).

I tell my co-worker sounds like the kid doing well. "What?" he says. I tell him the kid's exactly like him and that if he felt his life was okay, well his kid probably thinks the same. He was stunned.

Yeah, if your kids have problems, look in the mirror for the source of them cuz the answer is staring right back at you. I stood in front of that mirror for a really long time when it came to disciplining my first kid. Now I just shave in front of it.