Mom Schools Daughter: Puts her on the street to beg

[Back]

Mom Makes Teen Stand on Street With Sign (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051117/ap_on_re_us/girl_on_corner;_ylt=Am2dibONcUTXq6qQozJgC_Gs0NUE;_ ylu=X3oDMTA3ODdxdHBhBHNlYwM5NjQ-)


EDMOND, Okla. - Tasha Henderson got tired of her 14-year-old daughter's poor grades, her chronic lateness to class and her talking back to her teachers, so she decided to teach the girl a lesson.

She made Coretha stand at a busy Oklahoma City intersection Nov. 4 with a cardboard sign that read: "I don't do my homework and I act up in school, so my parents are preparing me for my future. Will work for food."

Have to admit, this is pretty funny but it could be disastrous. On one hand it may make her change her ways. But on the other it could make her really really really hate her parents and rebel even more.

Either way though its good to see a parent taking responsibility for raising their children.

[AnticorRifling]

That's awesome. But the sign should have said something like "Head for happy meal"

[xtc]

Originally posted by AnticorRifling
That's awesome. But the sign should have said something like "Head for happy meal"


Ouch and to think you chastised me for trying to get a grown woman into bed....btw mission accomplished.

[DeV]

Donald Wertlieb, a professor of child development at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University, warned that such punishment could do extreme emotional damage. He said rewarding positive behavior is more effective.
Right, because not caring at all about her daughter's performance in school would be that much healther to her emotional state of mind. In the long run she has a parent that actually cares.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<Right, because not caring at all about her daughter's performance in school would be that much healther to her emotional state of mind. In the long run she has a parent that actually cares.>>


He said rewarding positive behavior is more effective.
Case in point: I had no reason to do well in school, sans being chastized for not doing well, which I can easily overlook. 3.454 GPA. I wanted a new computer and was told I needed high honors and I'd get one for free. You saw the result.

[DeV]

That's great, Bob. He also said that such punishment could do extreme emotional damage. Hence my comment. Tasha Henderson said her daughter's attendance has been perfect and her behavior has been better since the incident. Different strokes for different folks.

[Leetahkin]

I found it interesting that the mother was reported to Child & Family Services. I read before of a judge ordering a male to dress as a female and walk the sidewalk along the courthouse, to feel how it is to be on the receiving end of cat-calling females.

There's nothing wrong to teach someone humility, I'm just not so sure about a child in that setting.

I really don't know that what the mother did will have a lasting affect on her child. People are quite apt to slink back into a usual routine. I wouldn't be surprised if the girl went back to her old ways.

[Bobmuhthol]

It's obvious that the punishment was going to improve her behavior. Donald Wertlieb's argument, with which I agree, is that humiliating a child has the potential to damage the child emotionally.

[DeV]

In no way does my response indiciate that the professor's line of thinking is incorrect. Let's just get that out of the way. The fact remains that if she continued to do poorly in school, and her parents showed no concern whatsoever, she could also become emotionally damaged. Which is why I say, different strokes for different folks. Simple.

[HarmNone]

I agree with DeV here. What works for one young person won't necessarily work as well for another. We're all individuals and respond to different things in different ways. This might have been the perfect way to get this kid's attention; however, it might be the worst possible thing one could do with another child.

[Tisket]

She was only holding that sign for an hour. Wonder if she got any work offers.

[Jolena]

I have to agree with Dev and HN. I personally thought it was a great, creative and amusing result to a child's potential downfall in school and possibly life later on. I do agree that it could have lead to emotional damage, but it seems from the article that she's doing much better now and I'm sure she now understands that what she is doing in school can develop lifetime habits that can either make or break her as an adult.

[FinallyDomesticated]

In a perfect world, parents could adoringly tell their misbehaving children - honey, don't do that - and the kids would listen.

However, it takes unique punishments for each child. At least she has a family who cares enough about her to punish her.

Will it scar the child for life? The way I see it is - if the kid had been doing what she was supposed to, there would have been no need to resort to drastic measures. Hopefully, everytime she thinks of slacking, she'll remember this and think there's no way in hell I'm going through that again so I better get my ass in gear. And someday, when the girl has kids of her own - she'll thank her mother because she'll realize that her mother was trying to make a better life for her.

That just always amuses me - people who argue as to why children shouldn't be disciplined. Don't spank them because they'll see violence as an answer. Don't speak harshly because they'll be traumatized for life. Don't ground them too much or they'll feel left out and have self esteem issues. Don't do anything too drastic or they'll rebel and hate you. Oh, and all they need is love. If you love and snuggle them enough, they'll just respect you too darned much to misbehave. Its ridiculus. I'm a firm believer in spare the rod, spoil the child belief.

[Skeeter]

I agree with Chris Rock

Beat yo kids!

[Renian]

If you love your kid, you will discipline them to save their ass. If you don't, you'll act like you love them by acting lovingly, and thus they'll go, "Oh shit, I can get away with this and my parents won't care." If you totally ignore them, see the previous quote.

Emotionally scarred for life? Maybe, but remember: scar tissue is tougher than normal skin.

[Skirmisher]

Originally posted by Bobmuhthol
It's obvious that the punishment was going to improve her behavior. Donald Wertlieb's argument, with which I agree, is that humiliating a child has the potential to damage the child emotionally.

Ah quit whining.

She cared enough to take the time to stand out there and didn't run from the cops or any other authority coming out to coddle the girl.

Her mom was there the whole time and no one was going to do anything.

Yes, it WAS humiliating to some extent. It was meant to be.

Better an hour of humiliation now, under the the relative safety of her mothers watchful eye than a lifetime of humiliation with no one there to back them up if they are allowed to go down the wrong road.

I understand that as a young person yourself it may make you gnash your teeth to think that you have to do as your parents say even if it pisses you off or seems unfair at the time, but too friggin bad.

[Edited on 11-17-2005 by Skirmisher]

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

I will totally beat my kids, by today's definition anyway. Spanking, FTW.

[Lady Shadow]

The world would be a better place if more people disciplined their children instead of pussy-footing around and letting them do whatever they please at everyone else's expense. I am of the firm belief that NOT disciplining your child should be viewed as abuse to them. There *is* a difference between discipline and abuse, which many people fail to realize or distinguish.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<I understand that as a young person yourself it may make you gnash your teeth to think that you have to do as your parents say even if it pisses you off or seems unfair at the time, but too friggin bad.>>

This has nothing to do with me or my age. Please do not conclude that I feel the way I do because I "have to do as my parents say," when I'm in agreement with a professor who is very much not under the same obligation.

[Jolena]

Out of curiousity, Alex, did your parents ever punish you? And if so, what types of punishment did you personally receive?

[Bobmuhthol]

My punishment has never really exceeded verbal reprimand for my crimes. Your question seemed rather odd to me because I immediately tried to think of anything I've done that I would actually need to be punished. I can't say that I can remember much. The most apparently serious are the accusations of two sexually related offenses in middle school, both of which died down quickly. I was always complimented by others as being very much well-behaved and well-mannered when I was younger. That doesn't happen anymore, be it from age or my dislike of the general populace, but I'm not much different than before in terms of behavior.

Short answer: no, my parents never punished me. I figured out early that I could prevent punishment by not doing anything that would get me punished; and it did not take punishment to realize this.

[hectomaner]

<<The most apparently serious are the accusations of two sexually related offenses in middle school, both of which died down quickly.>>

peeping through the walls into the girls bathroom huh?

[Bobmuhthol]

It was really, really stupid. I don't need to repeat the events. Basically, I was innocent both times and they're retarded.

[hectomaner]

<< Basically, I was innocent both times and they're retarded.>>

most middle school aged females are


and this just reminded me of one of the funniest things that i ever witnessed.

junior year, business management and entrepreneurism class. was last week of school, so we entertained ourselves by playing dinsoaur aged games on dinosaur aged computers (read: oregon trail) to pass the time. we had a kid in the class that was one of those social outcasts that dont know how to act right in any situation. we also had this really hot slut that was in the class too. well it was about 10 min till end of the period, and the slut turns around, and is like OMGWTF my purse is gone. it was. so was the kid. well i went to the teacher, and was like, freakboy just made off with slut's purse. so he went into the hall looking for him, and freakboy was coming out from the bathroom, trying to act innocent. teacher proceeds to flame freakboy, asking where the purse is, and freakboy is all like WTF NOOB I DONT HAVE PURSE!!!! so the teacher goes to the bathroom and finds sluts purse in the garbage, and returns it. she opens it up and screams OMG MY PANTIES ARE GONE, FREAKBOY STOLE THEM AND SNIFFED!!!! all eyes are shifted to him, at which point he's spazzing like hell, and sure enough, in his pocket, bulging, were her panties. the panties in which she had been wearing until study hall the period before, when she went in the bathroom and removed them so that the guy she sat next to could diddle her twat during study hall.

not sure there is a point to all this, but your blurb about middle school sexual misconduct accusations made me think of it (even though this was high school)

[Edited on 11-18-2005 by hectomaner]

[Bobmuhthol]

Neither of them involved a female, believe it or not.

Edit: Both times it was teachers saying I did something wrong. One was me joking around with my very much male friend and apparently they had to take it seriously because homosexuality exists. The other was a teacher, whose name was never revealed to me, claiming that I sold pornography to students.

Fucking idiots. :'(

[Edited on 11-18-2005 by Bobmuhthol]

[hectomaner]

wow, those 2 cases of stupidity are even worse then i had thought.


also, you should have sued them for the accusations that were brought up due to homosexuality. the both of you should have gotten lawyers and sued them for descrimination. you'd be set for life.

[Edited on 11-18-2005 by hectomaner]

[Sean of the Thread]

Originally posted by Nobody Cares
I found it interesting that the mother was reported to Child & Family Services. I read before of a judge ordering a male to dress as a female and walk the sidewalk along the courthouse, to feel how it is to be on the receiving end of cat-calling females.


Source?

[ElanthianSiren]

Honestly, if your grades are that bad, something needs to be done. My question would be what alternatives were tried before the parent resorted to that type of punishment. We go into this assuming that the parent is a good parent, simply at her wit's end, but we don't really know that from what I've seen.

-M

[DeV]

An attentive parent is not always a good parent. I try to be fairly careful when differentiating between the two is called into question. She was reported to DHS, so if there are problems in the home they can be looked into and investigated further.

[Edited on 11-18-2005 by DeV]

[Jayvn]

When I was in the 4th grade I got caught fighting at the bus stop, my dad and step mom made my brother and I walk to school on two different days...to show us respect for the bus stop or something I suppose? anyways, 6 miles later I didn't get caught fighting at the bus stop anymore.

[Bobmuhthol]

You live 6 miles from school? I live 6 miles from school!

And God damn does the walk suck. It took me like two hours, but I wasn't in any rush.

[Artha]

I used to live 6 miles from school. I had to walk a half dozen times. It was never fun.

[Tisket]

If I had to walk six miles as a kid just to get to school I'd have been in a different school district.

[Unique]

Originally posted by Tisket
If I had to walk six miles as a kid just to get to school I'd have been in a different school district.

Heh.

I just looked on a map. If I walked 6 miles I would cross a good portion of NYC from where I am. I wonder how many school districts that is?

Unique.

Edited to reflect my geometrical shortcomings.

[Edited on 11-18-2005 by Unique]