[freeper12]

right..and your 12 year old would never get pressured into throwing a snowball at a car, or stealing a candybar from a store...even good kids do bad things sometimes.

So where do you draw the line, exedcuting a 12 year old for stealing a car is OK, but how about shoplifting? perhaps skipping school should be an executable offense? puffing on a joint?

Must be great to be a perfect parent and have perfect kids.

[BlueLancer]

Perfect parent? Hardly.
Perfect child ... not likely.

But, over the years, the one lesson that I have been entirely consistent on is that actions have consequences. Very early on, he was taken to the local county lock-up and shown where "bad people" go, where they have to stay when they "do bad things". It was also made quite clear to him that consequences are borne by those who make the actions that result in them.

Those teachings, and attendance in a a private religious/military school, I hope will lead him along the straight and narrow and guide him to a productive and happy life. However, there is only so much that a parent can do except to prepare their children for the future; actions have consequences and it is on their head, not mine, to refrain from such conduct that leads them to disaster.