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Another parent who looks to the state for parenting help - funny story

davidmcbeth

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When he would not get up Monday morning, the mother said she threatened to throw water on him, and he responded by saying that if she did he would tear up their home, according to police.

The woman did splash water on him, at which time the boy punched a window and threw household items, including a large vase and a wall mirror, which shattered, police said.

http://onlineathens.com/blotter/2013-11-05/athens-teen-dislikes-getting-out-bed


At least the boy is not a liar....
 

SFCRetired

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There is a much easier way to get recalcitrant teenagers out of their warm bed in the morning. Buy a couple of bags of glass marbles and put them in the freezer.

Warn your teen that you will only call them X number of times (two is the most I would give) before you take unpleasant action against them.

When the teen does not get out of bed, get the frosty marbles, open the bag, pull the covers up just a little, and pour the marbles into the bed with the teen.

When those icy cold marbles hit that nice warm rear end, you will be treated to the sight of a teenager levitating out of the bed!! Only rarely is a repeat performance necessary.

As a side note, this doesn't get the bed wet, either!
 

DocWalker

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There is a much easier way to get recalcitrant teenagers out of their warm bed in the morning. Buy a couple of bags of glass marbles and put them in the freezer.

Warn your teen that you will only call them X number of times (two is the most I would give) before you take unpleasant action against them.

When the teen does not get out of bed, get the frosty marbles, open the bag, pull the covers up just a little, and pour the marbles into the bed with the teen.

When those icy cold marbles hit that nice warm rear end, you will be treated to the sight of a teenager levitating out of the bed!! Only rarely is a repeat performance necessary.

As a side note, this doesn't get the bed wet, either!

This is pure genius....
 

MKEgal

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The boy’s mother told police that her son had been tardy more than 30 times already this year because of his reluctance to get out of bed.
I'm very tempted to say "that there is a parenting problem", but at what point does a teen become responsible to get himself up in the morning, not act like a 3yo, etc.?

Obviously it's a parenting problem because he's 14 & acting like he's 3, thinks violence is the appropriate response to his mom caring enough not to let him be late again, can't control his anger.

But it's also a failure of the child to grow, develop, learn.
I wonder if he's been checked for any medical condition which makes waking up early difficult, like depression?
(In which case, the parents should enforce an earlier bedtime.)
Hey, Junior - if you can't get up on time & behave like a civilized human being, you're going to lose your electronics overnight, you're going to go to bed 30 min earlier every night until you can get up on time & behave appropriately.

But if she couldn't control a violent teen, I have no disagreement with asking police to do it, & leaving him sitting in jail for the day.
Maybe he'll get it through his head that he's heading down the wrong path.
 

georg jetson

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Slidell, Louisiana
SNIP

Warn your teen that you will only call them X number of times (two is the most I would give) before you take unpleasant action against them.

SNIP

Two is the most?! I'm sure you're the "I told you once" kinda parent, just like me. ;)

Yes parents, if you have to say something to your child more than once, you're not doing your job.
 

b0neZ

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I remember a few mornings where I just couldn't get out of bed for school.

A (not by me) strategically placed bag of frozen peas provided quite a bit of motivation to vacate my sleeping space as quickly and efficiently as possible.
 

georg jetson

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I'm very tempted to say "that there is a parenting problem", but at what point does a teen become responsible to get himself up in the morning, not act like a 3yo, etc.?

If he's acting like a 3 yr old at 14, it's highly probably that it's the parent's fault.

Obviously it's a parenting problem because he's 14 & acting like he's 3, thinks violence is the appropriate response to his mom caring enough not to let him be late again, can't control his anger.

Exactly.

But it's also a failure of the child to grow, develop, learn.
I wonder if he's been checked for any medical condition which makes waking up early difficult, like depression?

Typically the failure of the child to grow, develop, learn, is the parent's fault. That's why they're the parents. It's always a possibility that a medical condition can complicate the parent/child relationship, but if the parent is doing their job, they'll recognize this.
(In which case, the parents should enforce an earlier bedtime.)
Hey, Junior - if you can't get up on time & behave like a civilized human being, you're going to lose your electronics overnight, you're going to go to bed 30 min earlier every night until you can get up on time & behave appropriately.

It's impractical to enforce silly "bedtime" rules on a teenager that will "wreck the house". Behavior problems become unmanageable when children become teens. This is why an effective, consistant discipline system must be part of the child's life from the beginning.

But if she couldn't control a violent teen, I have no disagreement with asking police to do it, & leaving him sitting in jail for the day.
Maybe he'll get it through his head that he's heading down the wrong path.

It is unfortunate that many parents don't know how to... well... be a parent. They do a poor job of parenting and then frustratingly hand over their child to the state when things get out of hand. The state loves this... Liberty doesn't.
 
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skidmark

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While we may all laugh at the troubles of both parent and child, I pause to remind you that the mother's actions in calling for help may in fact be self-preservation.

Parents are ultimately criminally and civilly responsible for seeing that their children who are within the age of mandatory school attendance in fact get there. Many cases of parents doing time in the pokey for not getting their kid inside the schoolhouse door.

My favorite story is of the mother whose teenage daughter would get off the school bus a few streets away from home. Mom started driving her and taking her inside to the principal's office. Kid then started ditching school. After several episodes of that mom bought a pair of handcuffs and spent all day at school with the kid. Kom went to juvie cpourt trying to get permission to chain the kid at home to prevent her from running away when the kid thought that would keep her out of school. While turned down, the judge did approve lo-jacking the kid with an ankle GPS w/ speaker - if the kid was reported as not at school they would start looking for her while broadcasting a message that she was a runaway and truant. Kid spent a few weekends in juvie lockup for trying to remove/destroy the device. The end of the story? The kid gave up and decided it was easier to just go to and stay in the school building. (She did no work and failed, but that humiliation is another story.)

If it takes going to those extremres to demonstrate who is the parent and who is te child, those are the extremes you must go to. Or go to court and tell the judge you cannot control the kid/do not want the kid any more and let the state screw up their life.

stay safe.
 

SFCRetired

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Skid, you hit the nail right on the head. What many younger parents fail to realize is that you are not supposed to be your kid's "best friend"; you are supposed to be that child's mother or father. Yes, you are supposed to show them love and treat them with love and kindness. No, you are not supposed to let a child run roughshod all over you.

There is no earthly excuse for beating a child, but there are many children who would benefit from an application of the board of education to the seat of knowledge. And I strongly disagree with the edumacated idiots who say that spanking a child will make them violent. Letting the little buggers run hog wild and pig crazy is what makes them violent. Children have to be taught to be civilized.

Probably the most important thing about disciplining a child is letting that child know that, while you must punish them for their misdeed, you have not stopped loving them. Momma and Dad both wore my tail out when I needed it (frequently!), but I always knew I was loved. The other thing is, once the punishment is administered, the matter should be dropped unless the offense is repeated.
 
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