Mum and dad praised for ‘brilliant parenting’

A mum and dad  took their son to the police after learning that he was playing ‘chicken’ with cars on a roundabout in Southport. The police went on Facebook to say one of the boys had been taken into the local police station by his parents wanting to ‘teach him a lesson’. And the parents’ actions were widely praised as some called parents technique ‘brilliant’ and ‘excellent’.

So let’s just take a look at the lesson that I believe he really learned:

1. His parents are incapable of having a dialogue with him to find real learning about safety, love and respect.
2. Not to tell his parents anything in the future that could lead to this kind of punishment
3. Better still don’t tell them anything
4. Become much more vigilant about leaving evidence
5. Take better steps to not get caught

Perhaps I’ll meet him in prison one day where he can learn the Dialogue Road Map and what self responsibility really feels like.

Maria’s Midweek Mindfulness

So let me just make the point that reporting your child to the police as ‘punishment’ is not ‘parenting’. It is abdicating responsibility to bring up a child as a respectful and balanced human being who can make just and informed decisions to an enforcement authority who use threat to get you to ‘behave’.

The Wednesday Whisper

Have you ever been reported to a higher authority? What did it do for you? What would you have preferred?