18-Punishing Children

Punishing Children

Yuki: What are you doing?

Al: I’m getting ready to give Charlie a spanking for beating up his classmate. He has to learn that there are serious consequences for his actions.

Yuki: You’re punishing him for beating someone by giving him a beating? That doesn’t make sense. Our response shouldn’t be an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Al: I’m not going to beat him. This isn’t going to be a flogging. I’m going to give him a simple spanking.

Yuki: Corporal punishment isn’t the answer. We can give him a severe punishment without resorting to violence.

Al: What kind of punishment? Withholding his allowance or taking away his toys? Those don’t seem severe enough to me.

Yuki: We could ground him for a month, only allowing him to go to school.

Al: That still doesn’t seem to be enough.

Yuki: All right, we can pull out the big guns then. We could have him spend the weekend with your mother and ask her to talk some sense into him. He’s scared of your mother.

Al: I’m scared of my mother. Do you think it would work?

Yuki: If I were a 10-year-old and I had to face your angry and disapproving mother for an entire weekend, I’d be quaking in my boots!