To: humantech
What are your thoughts on what should have been done in this situation? Its pretty obvious that you dont agree with the father or myself.
Very good question.
- Sit down and get control of my anger. Actions while angry are typically imprudent. The father in the article is a case-in-point.
- Talk things over with my wife before doing anything else. Experience has taught me that we make many fewer mistakes when we both agree on a course of action.
- Sit down and have a long talk with my daughter. Point out the long term bad consequences to her of imprudent choices in this area. Point out that trust is initially given by a parent to a child, and when lost must be re-earned by a long-term consistent track record of behavior. I would then ground her for a pre-determined amount of time, limit the friends with whom she could associate to a pre-screened list with an option to add to it by discussion, and lock down the cell phone and computer. I would call the school weekly to check on her class-by-class attendance, and if there were unexplained discrepancies I would tighten the supervision, perhaps changing schools. Oh, and by the way, she would have to show long-term prudent behavior before ever getting a driving permit or going out with friends unaccompanied by an adult parent I knew and trusted. Note the theme: prudent behavior is the key to privileges. BTW - my parents did something like this to my brother when they caught him skipping school after the first warning.
- And by the way, this boyfriend is history, as long as I am responsible for her support and behavior.
My son and daughter and their friends did not 'pair off' in high school. They tended to do things in big, mixed groups. They had a lot of fun without the dangers of falling prey to hormonal urges. Most did not date until well into college, and then tended to stick to larger mixed groups until marriage was in the picture.
To: RochesterFan
sounds like good advice ..kudos to you
228 posted on
09/22/2007 11:10:19 AM PDT by
donnab
To: RochesterFan
Well said, sir. Your children are blessed, too.
238 posted on
09/22/2007 11:56:20 AM PDT by
Chanticleer
(I want God, I want Poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness, I want sin.)
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson