HOW DO YOU PUNISH A CHILD THIEF?
Elyria – If you happened to pass by the Elyria Police Station on West Ave this morning you might have been wondering what the girl with the sign was doing there. She was being punished by her Mother – that’s what she was doing there.
Trina, a 17 year old Elyria girl, was busted stealing by her Mother and part of her punishment was to sit out front of the Police Station Sunday with a sign that read; “I’m a thief, don’t trust me.”Trina said that she was quickly learning her lesson as the cold rain began to fall on her umbrella. When asked how long she was supposed to sit with her sign she said; “My mom is picking me up when she is done at Church.”
Does this type of punishment work? How does it sit with you?
posted by TMC NEWS at 9:48 PM
47 Comments:
Compliments to the mother. Parenting at work.
about time way to go mom me need more parents like you
That's a great punishment. Nice work mom. We need more parents like you.
Its nice to see someone actually parenting their kids and not letting them run the street! My hat is off to you.
My grandmother always said "a little humility goes a long way." we need more parents like this now-a-days. kids have no respect for anyone because the have no consequences for their actions and lack appreciation for how well they have it. And to make her do it in front of the police station... the judges in this town could learn a few things from this mother!!
Works for me!!
I love it. Nice job mom..the way it should be!
We need our judges to quit slaping these kids on the hand and start doing what this mom did. Hats off to this mom. Maybe the girl wont steal again.
Way to go Mom!!
I would like to say that I am 20 years old and my mother would have done the same thing to me. Awesome parenting!
I think its great what this mom did. Maybe this child will think twice.
Abusing a child by sitting them in public for humiliation and ridicule is not the answer.
I thought putting a person in the stocks to have rocks and garbage thrown at them went out with public hangings.
Yes rubes, I know you will all say public executions are the answer.
That's why you live where you do, make the amount of money you do, and shop at the local WalMart.
Taking a Sharpee marker and putting your kid on the street will not replace a loving, caring, nurturing environment.
Teaching your child that stealing is wrong by being a crystal clear role model will keep them from getting in trouble in the first place.
dear Anonymous,
that is not true, a good role model doesnt mean anything. my father is a police officer and a perfect role model, when i got in trouble with the law it reflected on me not him or how he brought me up.
Here it is. The voice of someone who thinks they are better educated, better paid, and better in general that everyone else. This child is not being ABUSED. This is a mother diciplinig her child. She could have chosen corporal punishment, but instead chose sitting her down in public.
abuse what a joke. she's not beating her! she is teaching her a lesson. how many times do parents call the police to dicipline there child because they don't want to be the bad guy them self. I don't know how many times you here a deputy or a cop getting called to a house because a kid won't stop playing video games to do their home work or clean there room. mom is doingthe right thing
This is an OKAY punishment, I think a little bit of corpal punishment is in need. What ever happened to a few whacks with the belt? Or extension cord?
I believe it can work, as a child I was marched back into the store I stole a candy bar from , and never stole again!
To the person who thinks they are above the rest and that this is abuse it is people like you that are the reason kids think spanking is abuse.I got spanked and turned out fine. Tell you what I learned my damn lesson. My mother was a wonderful role model and I still got in trouble. Minor highschool stuff but still. Are you telling me you never did anything and your kids are PERFECT? Just because you may make more and not shop at Wal Mart does not make you better then us. So get off your high horse
Seeing as she was sitting right in front of the police station, I am willing to bet that she was probably questioned by an officer. Since the mom is probably not in jail right now for abuse, I'm assuming this is not classified as "abuse".
This is not to say that I don't feel a little bad for the girl. How embarassing. But why would I feel more embarassed for her for having to endure this punishment handed down by her mom than if she had been arrested and had to go to court?
If she had been caught by authorities, charges may have been pressed and she'd go to court. I would have thought, "Well, that's what you get". Well, she was caught by her mom. That's what she gets!
Way to go, mom!
This mother is trying to save her child from a life of crime!
For someone to say that she was in the wrong for doing this is outrageous.
At 17 years old, this teen knew what she was doing is wrong.
Was it a strong punishment? YES! But was it needed? HELL YES!
Each and every day teenagers go further and further with their little crimes until they are no longer little crimes but BIG CRIMES.
Did you read in todays Morning Journal about the pizza guy getting robbed? I quote: "two Hispanic males, 15 to 18 years old."
Notice the ages of the robbers?
If at this age, they are old enough to steal and rob, have sex and get pregnant, graduate from high school, drive a car, THEN they are capable of dealing with a little of MOM'S LOVING PUNISHMENT!
Kudo's to the mom and Kudo's to Terry for this story!
Nice Job Mom!!!!!! At 17 years old, this young adult knows the difference between right and wrong...In less than a year, this same young adult will be wishing for a little public humility over having a criminal record that will haunt her for the rest of her life!!
Anonymous...You have those who say they do and you have those who DO and say they DON'T....my guess is that you shop at Wal-Mart just like the rest of us!!!!
obviously this person doesn't have any children!! People think differant when they have children of their own.
Anonymous at 7:25 AM:
I bet she does have her own kids, who probably tell her what to do.
KUDOS to the mom....My daughter threw trash out the bus windows and I made her pick up garbage for a mile stretch of road both sides. I think that our children should be punished like this since the damn system screams abuse every time we try to do it the way we were raised. This is good for her. I would have called all her friends to go by and wave. Hope it works mom. Great job.
I praise this mother! I wish there were more like her out there taking a stand in her child's upbringing!
I wish there were more parents out there like this mother! Maybe this mother should run for Judge. Kids need to learn a lesson when they do something wrong. What good does grounding or beatings do. This child now knows Mom means business. Think I would like to see more of this, maybe from Judges too.
Seeing as she was sitting right in front of the police station, I am willing to bet that she was probably questioned by an officer. Since the mom is probably not in jail right now for abuse, I'm assuming this is not classified as "abuse". From anonymous at 6:52 PM.
I would not bet on this LOL
Mom should of made daughter wear the reflective green vests that lifecare wears
In todays world, with punishment cut back by our lawmakers,
Its good to see a mother with the insight this woman showed.
She realy cares about her child.
Way to go Mom...
We need more like you to find new ways to make a statement to our kids and still not end up in jail!!!
To the "anonymous" writer who stated: "Taking a Sharpee marker and putting your kid on the street will not replace a loving, caring, nurturing environment.
Teaching your child that stealing is wrong by being a crystal clear role model will keep them from getting in trouble in the first place."
I don't know what planet you live on or what you have been smoking, but you need to get your head out of your rear end and take a good look around at the kids in today's society. These kids have the upper hand and they know it.
Ever hear of a young guy by the name of Joran van der Sloot? He came from a loving, caring, nurturing family. Try asking him what happened to Natalie Holloway.
Abuse? Are you kidding me? Beating a kid until they are black and blue is "abuse". Public humiliation gets their attention in way nothing else can.
This mother has my vote for "Mother of the Year".
When I posted my comment about this punishment being wrong I never expected such a backlash by the unwashed masses.
Who are you? Where are you people from? All I envision is Ma and Pa sitting in their double wide railing against my comments while their impregnated chromosonally challenged children run the streets like animals.
I suffered creative punishments as a child and trust me, the day will come when my father is using a walker and I will avenge the mistreatment he put upon me.
You abuse somebody and the punishment will always come back to you in due time.
"When I posted my comment about this punishment being wrong I never expected such a backlash by the unwashed masses."
Well, dear "anonymous", when you tend to sit back acting all pious while insulting the "unwashed masses", what did you expect would happen?
Where did we come from? I don't know about any of the others, but I am a middle-aged, college educated professional with 2 grown children, both of whom are also colleged educated professionals as well. I most certainly do not live in a double-wide (although I would if I had to), and I also was subjected to some pretty "creative" punishment as a child myself. Hmmmm, I seem to have survived just fine, without any grandiose ideations of revenge upon my parents once they become members of the "walker brigade". What kind of a coward has to wait for that? Your bitterness does not become you.
Let's see, I have the choice of subjecting my child to a little public humiliation or seeing them locked up in juvenile detention for being a thief: That decision seems like a slam dunk to me.
In your case, perhaps your parents should have opted to send you to juvenile detention. Probably would have been a much better fit......
Golly gee, not even a misspelled word. My "challenged chromosomes" must be taking a rest.
To the Anonymous person who posted:
"When I posted my comment about this punishment being wrong I never expected such a backlash by the unwashed masses.
Who are you? Where are you people from? All I envision is Ma and Pa sitting in their double wide railing against my comments while their impregnated chromosonally challenged children run the streets like animals.
I suffered creative punishments as a child and trust me, the day will come when my father is using a walker and I will avenge the mistreatment he put upon me.
You abuse somebody and the punishment will always come back to you in due time."
Even if you were abused as a child-to sit back and wait for the day when your father is old and at your mercy to have revenge is SICK and is called a PRE-MEDITATED CRIME!
Furthermore- who are you to judge anyone as being part of the unwashed masses? Or trailer trash
I have never lived in a trailer, although I am not too good to and I take a bath every night.
If you disagree with what this mother did- get over it. At least this is one mother who is not burying her head in the sand while her daughter is out committing crimes.
She also made sure that while her daughter was being punished, she was in a safe, public place while being punished - and instead of being in a bar MOM was at church. DOUBLE KUDO's to that MOM!
How many stories have we all heard about kids committing crimes and MOMMY/DADDY saying "OH, I raised him/her better than that."
HERE's the proof, this mom is TRYING.
As for calling our children chromosomally challenged,my son is a happy and healthy teenager.
Do you even have children?
I came from a single parent home, with 2 siblings and I am now a happily married mother of a 16 year old.
Again: How many kids do you have?
You may have had a hard time of life when you were growing up: do you think that you are the only person who has ever had a hard childhood?
Regardless, you are an adult now and the only person who is making your decisions is you.
If you can't get past your childhood, stay away from your father and get help.
The only person who can determine how your present and your future goes is you.
PS: Did you even both to read your own parting comment? Here it is:
You abuse somebody and the punishment will always come back to you in due time.
Keep that in mind when your father is old and on a walker.
Or as the Bible says:
Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Romans 12:19
give her the vest punishment!
GOOD FOR YOU MOM FOR TAKING ACTION.
OUR CHILDREN NEED TO LEARN RESPECT FOR THEIR PARENTS AND THOSE AROUND THEM.
I WORK IN THE MEDICAL FIELD AND IT IS A SHAME FOR THE LACK OF REPECT AND DISAPLINE YOU SEE IN OUR YOUTH.
WE NEED TO GET CONTROL OF OUR YOUTH.
Kudos to rim-Lorain. "Anonymous" was setting itself up for backlash. God help her/him when they become part of the "Walker Brigade" and are taken care of by Walmart shoppers, unwashed masses, and people who might have grew up in a double wide-maybe then they'd realize people are people-we all are fundamentally same regardless of finances. It's just taking a stereotype and branding the whole city as assumed. I think the mom in tis story did the right thing, and had I been in her place, I'd have spent the whole day questioning my actions. That's the thing-some of us are so worried about what others think when disciplining our children-tantrums in grocery store, talking back to us in public, etc...we as parents need to stop catering and start parenting. It's just too bad Anonymous is taking their own personal experiences and coloring this event with that. I threatened to show up at school with my robe,pajamas, and curlers in my hair if my children missed the bus again. It worked. There are different scales of humiliation, and this was appropriate for the crime. Being held in stocks (even with an umbrella) and garbage thrown at you is non-comparable. I think Anonymous is either here to provoke responses like this or truly has Head Up Hiney (HUH? Syndrome).
You never expected the backlash? Well you really do have your head up your ass. Let me introduce myself. I am a 20 year college student. I work in childcare but do not have children of my own. I know all the things I learned about positive discipline. I carry those out at work. But if it was my kid things will be different. I will not beat my child. They will learn respect. Also your double wide comment was completly uncalled for. I live in a nice home with my grandparents. I am saving money with my boyfriend and we will be purchasing our first home within the next year or so. Also you sick S.O.B I cannot even believe your comment about your father. I cannot even wrap my mind around that one. So before you run your mouth about others and thier children maybe you should think about what you said. You do not know me or anyone else and thier kids. So I suggest you shut up. It is obvious you think you are better then us. So why not go and talk to other ass holes like your self because us wal mart shopping folks dont personally care for you and your kind. Also I STRONGLY suggest counsling. Although I am not sure it will help much now.
To the ignorant anonymous who didnt expect a backlash:
Take a step back and look at how completely contradicting your statements were...
1- You call this abuse...
2- But yet, You talk about how you will avenge your father when he is unable to walk.... Not ONLY is that a pre-meditated crime... It is also: DING,DING,DING =ABUSE!!!
So, are you here to have an educated debate on abuse... or are you here just to entertain yourself because you have nothing better to do in life...?
Also, to clear up any close-minded statements in which you previously made, I make 120k annually, I own a home on the lake, and yes I STILL shop at wal-mart, lol. (I like that store).
I would also not mind living in a "double wide". Those have became very nice in the past 10 years and are very well built! :)
Money has nothing to do with the level of knowledge that one has. I know notorious criminals who have nothing more than a middle-school education, no job, and no future... but yet, they could still run circles around any professor I ever had!
GREAT PUNISHMENT THOUGH!!! Well thought out, and perfectly executed!
As I am sure one of two things will happen out of this punishment:
1- She will never steal again...
or
2- She will work endlessly to make sure her mother doesn't find out next time.
Thank You,
Phillip
Heather, First of all. You have a foul mouth for a twenty year old that brags about being in child care.
You attack my comments while you have zero life experience.
I'm happy for you, at age twenty, in college and saving money to buy a home with your boyfriend. I didn't hear you saying anything about marriage. Did I miss that?
Could it be that the precocious youngster is going to get married, have children out of wedlock, and find herself online reading about her little thieving teen a few years down the road.
You are going down the same course as all of these other people. When you have a few more years under your belt then you can sling the venom.
I should say that I regret saying I was shocked by the response to my post. I guess I'm even more shocked that you people think that behavior is acceptable. The child will not learn from this lesson. The parent should have taken the child to church and had a discussion with the pastor about this situation. I think Patsy with her qoutation would know this better than all of you people.
Dumping a child onto the street, and leaving her is wrong. Had the girl been kidnapped, raped, and killed what would you all be saying about her mother.
Be true to yourselves sheep. Don't follow the pack because it's the easiest thing to do. I don't believe any good parent would do that to their child.
Anonymous, you still did not answer the question as to whether or not you have children of your own. For all of our sakes, I certainly hope not. Believe me, having a child changes EVERYTHING you ever believed in while growing up.
By the way, my 23-year-old son, who has been in the Middle East for the past 7 months putting his butt on the line so ignorant people like you can pass judgement on people like me, called me tonight from Iraq to let me know that their unit is pulling out TOMORROW, and he will be home in time for Christmas. God bless our troops who must defend the ignorant.
I can assure you, despite any humiliating discipline he experienced at the hands of his father or myself while growing up, he has NO plans of taking out any revenge on us once we become old and frail. They have names for people like that, but I will not repeat them here.
Should I ever become as judgemental as you, I hope someone will put me out of my misery.
Stop hiding behind your computer to insult people and "man up". If you have a better idea for disciplining a young thief, we would ALL like to hear them. In other words, "put up, or shut up".
Well my foul mouth is one thing that does not follow me into work. I do not cuss like that but you make me SICK. Also listen you DO NOT KNOW ME. My boyfriend and I have talked about marriage and I am sure the question will be popped soon. Also not that it is any of your buisness but I will not be having children out of wed lock. I will agree with you about what would have happened if something happened to the young girl. Maybe a meeting with the pastor would have helped. But no parent is perfect. This mother did what she thought was right. Your comment about life experiences also got under my skin. You do not know me nor do you know what I dealt with in my 20 years of life so please do not judge me. I cannot say that my children will be perfect because I do not know that for sure. I will do my best as a parent and hope for the best. Do you have children? Are they perfect? If you think so check again because they may just be really good liars and sneaking around. How can you honestly think that way about your father? Do not talk to him remove him from your life. By plotting what you will do to him you are only letting him hurt you more because you are thinking about the past. You are very ignorant and you need to honestly get counsling. I am not like every other 20 year out there getting preganat out of wed lock. Do not judge someone you do not know. Also I am just curious as to why you cannot reveal your name and where you are from because I would really like to know.
To the person who is better than everyone else here. You sound very much like someone I know. The more educated she became the better than everyone else she became also. I would be willing to bet that your "abuse" by your father never prevented you from taking his money or his help.
To Anonymous
1. You commented on my one quotation, the one straight from the Bible but not the other.
You know, the quote you used at the end of your comment.
Have you asked yourself why?
2. My quotation from the Bible was to your issue about possible abusing your father - thats not your job.
If your father abused you in any way, shape or form - God will punish him more than you ever can.
3. The "Church" is not the be all, end all. The "Church" can talk to a child, explain things to a child, pray for a child but the "Church" can't discipline a child.
Do you know this quote:
He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes. Proverbs 13:24
This mother chose to chastise her daughter, according to God's law and teaching.
Thats something the "Church" can't do for her.
She could have hit her, called the police on her and had her arrested, or worse BUT she didn't.
She had her sit IN FRONT of the police station (Therefore, you can almost guarantee she spoke to an officer and have their permission to use the grounds and the punishment) and hold a sign telling her transgression to all who passed by.
Lastly, you need to quit being so judgmental about people you do not even know.
I did notice how you chose not to answer my question about children- so I will assume that you do not have any.
Let me assure you - once you walk the path of Motherhood and you carry that child for that 9 months and raise that child for years, it hurts you when your child gets hurt or otherwise messes up. Should this mother have done nothing and let her child screw up the rest of her life? I have to say NO!
Since you appear to understand the Bible, let me close with this:
"Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again."
Matthew 7:1-2
(P.S. If you do attend a church, please talk to your minister about therapy for your anger at your father. I hope you will. You may be amazed at how well you will feel when you channel that anger into positive energy. I wish you all the best.)
Thank you for your words Patsy.
I am going to take your suggestion and talk to Father (not my dad for those of you who aren't blessed by the Virgin)this weekend.
I have been living with a LOT of anger for a long time, I guess it's time to let it go. Harming my father will not make me a better person. I also suspect that no amount of Hail Mary's is going to truely get me past the Lord if I act on this anger.
All the best, and out of all the angry comments, only yours reached it's intended target, My heart.
Anonymous,
Take your Priest into your full confidence and work with him.
You will be surprised at how much better you feel when you quit being a "victim" of both your father and your anger.
Take it slow and don't let the little back slides that come your way put you back to square one- its a long road but if you work at it, you can do it and you will benefit from it for the rest of your life. I wish you all the best.
I really really hope that your words are true and you do get help. I wish you the best.
Heather
P.S. Good job helping somone Patsy!
Well I am inspired. I googled my daughter is a thief because I am desperate to help her and this came up. My daughter is 13 and will eventually end up in juvenile detention with an ASBO and a criminal record. We live in London, England.
Guess where my daughter will be on Sunday morning and what she will be holding. We have already been to see our priest by the way.
I love my daughter but I will not have her ruin our lives as she is doing.
Just so you know we are financially independent and university educated and own our own home.
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