Today, I grounded my son for being a smart ass. Now he can't go to the cub scout campout this weekend. He's been howling, sobbing, stomping, slamming and screaming for about three continuous hours. I am not sure who this punishment has inflicted more suffering on: my son or me. FML
I agree, your life sucks (7444) - you totally deserved it (14354)
On 02/05/2010 at 1:20am - kids - by Mom (woman) - United States (Oklahoma)
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ydi op the scouts is a positive program to keep your kid out of trouble. now he might turn into a stoner
YDI for not controlling your spawn-of-Satan child. my kid wouldn't get away with that crap for 3 minutes, much less than 3 hours. beat his sorry little butt-at least then he'd have something to cry about
Exacty. If you let him get away with that, He'll know that he can get out of punishment by doing that.
I very rarely YDI FLMs, and I YDIed this one. Sometimes we can't help being smartasses, and grounding him went a little too far. You should have known that after THREE freaking HOURS!
#56 - On 02/05/2010 at 8:56am by scarletdragonfly
The crime needs to fit the punishment, and yours does not. Scouts is a positive experience, and these are memories he'll remember for his entire life. You're going to take that away because your kid was a smart-ass? That's a little harsh. I think a week-long grounding, or the confiscation of video games/tv/toys or something would be better suited.
And as a kid my parents would NEVER let us get away with such tantrums. We'd get our asses spanked if we tried to pull any of that crap!
Parents have gotten far less effective at parenting over the years.
#75 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:38am by studentwoes
Well it's done and you better not reverse yourself! Tell him you're going to add more time if he doesn't keep quiet,he has to know that he cannot disobey or disrespect you EVER! P.S. Time out doesn't work!!
" Try to be kind" also has good points! #144
#149 - On 02/05/2010 at 2:55pm by Eddie_Paints
wow..you grounded him from cub scouts?! i was in cub scouts for the whole five ,years it makes you a wiser person, hen mabe he wouldnt smartass you?
Raising your smart ass
Lesson 1: Smartasses can ALWAYS find a way to make you hate your punishment more than him
Lesson 2: They can, and will, find a way around punishments
Lesson 3: They can, and will get away with shit
Good job with the dicipline. Kids walk all over there parents nowadays.
#221 - On 02/06/2010 at 11:38pm by beachballa93
I was going to write exactly what you did-thank you! Mom sounds like a weak excuse for parenting, setting a bad example for her kid. And didn't she realize how he's react? He'll remember this the rest of his life...it's really FML for the kid, having a mom like that. And I speak from experience, having the best 15-yr-old son in the world.
Wow! All the parents on here being SMARTASSES and calling the kid "Spawn of Satan" should really take classes, you know, for the child abuse problem you have?
Oh and OP, grounding is definitely going to far, just for being a smart ass? Just take away a privilege, like using the computer or watching TV for the day.
#227 - On 02/09/2010 at 11:53am by Lotty1112
if you really want to punish the kid, smart ass him right back! "mommy, can i play videogames?" "idk ask a doctor", etc.
better yet, videotape him crying and screaming!! hahaha
#228 - On 02/09/2010 at 10:23pm by purpleisacolor
omg really? Just let him go to his campout jeez. No wonder he's screaming. . .
#3 - On 02/05/2010 at 6:20am by anonymous56667
cub scouts... kids gonna be playing some "games" that he shouldnt be shouldnt have let him join cub scouts
Seriously!!! Choose a better time to be all controlling and parenting; let the kid go to his campout.
Whenever I got grounded I just took it. I cried, yes, but I knew better. Maybe you should parent better...
^ in whole-hearted agreement. silly white people and and their "I can't discipline my kids or they'll call child services on me!" parenting.. I've seen your kind let your children run amuck through Jewel Osco throwing tantrums and destroying the merchandise, and what do YOU do?? "Well I don't want to say no as it may hamper my child's creativity...
What kind of Garbage exc-??! Kick his @$$ someday so he doesn't grow up spoiled enough to ruin everyone else's life plz. thx.
oh and to all the white folk that this isn't stereotyping, my sincerest apologies go to you but really, you rarely see any black or brown parents' children go nuts up and down the aisles without being put in check right away (u know it's true) :)
#18 - On 02/05/2010 at 6:41am by reiyu
reiyu: Firstly, it's "amok." Secondly, why, why, why do you have to bring race into this discussion? There are PLENTY of black/brown parents who don't have any idea how to parent their children and who go way overboard in "keeping them in line" with brute force or threats to the point that the child actually is stifled in just as destructive a way as white parents who have no limits. There is no need for race to be an issue here, and introducing it will only serve to distract from the real issue, which is ineffective parenting on a massive scale.
if I ever did this my dad would beat my ass down and I'm white that being said he'd let me go to the campout just to get rid of me
I have to disagree with this. I student teach in a lower area school where we have 3 white students in the class and those three are my most well behave students. Its the others that don't listen, give attitude when ever they are told to do anything. We call parents of the ones with continual behavior problems and the parents don't care!
Wait.. which race is far better off still? Yeah, that's what I thought.
#40 - On 02/05/2010 at 8:00am by xandervincent
reiyu: While you are right to an extent, It's mostly a case of class. Beating a child is an effective punishment every now and again to sharply correct bad behavior, but raising them in a respectful environment is the most important thing, as that's what a child picks the most up from. You will seldom see a white, upper-middle class child misbehaving in public - same for a black or brown upper-middle class child.
Regarding OP, you should have let him go - being a smart-ass requires discipline, but at this age he needs as much social activity as possible; don't deny him that. Grounding is an ineffective punishment, it's negative rather than positive enforcement of discipline.
#55 - On 02/05/2010 at 8:55am by uxoriouswidow
Some kids need a spanking, not all the time but once in a while. positive reinforcement works at times too but there are times when a good smack onbthe tush iis effective. As long as you don't always hit your kid, both methods help can be effective but, in my experience, just employing one method is ineffective.
#69 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:18am by Starfire22
@ #18 oh what excellent logic! black women beat their kids
#85 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:58am by missjennababe
All the above statements are true in that a middle ground is the best means by which to raise a child. I was raised in the same manner, and while yes I was hit now and again, it was never some brutal thrashing or anything overtly serious.
and as regards to my above racist comment, I'm surprised that a hate war did not commence and even more racist statemnets were not exchanged. this FML app is apparently much different from the previous garbage one.
And as to those who claim "white people are better off," you must be truly blind to claim that your arrogant statement and lack of humility will allow you to live a happy life. money does not equal happy, and FYI who's the economy just went through a depression bad enough to let the Canadian and Australian dollars become equivalent currencies? Hmm??
But yeah, if you're about to say "but you're equally racist!!" don't, because although my previous comment was aimed in a certain direction to ascertain a certain response, the comment does not reflect my true thoughts or character.
And Lastly, to the grammar police that is running "amok," get a life, your imperfect knowledge of the English language and pointless spelling corrections will by no means raise your poor self-esteem, as you will be flamed down everytime your over-anxious 3rd-grader reflex acts up.
thank you
#91 - On 02/05/2010 at 10:02am by reiyu
where i live, the black/brown people don't 'disipline' their children. they smack and shake the shit out of them until they're unconscious/dead, and the parents themselves are drunk or high on weed/pills/paint/petrol. there's australia's indigenous for you.
oh and don't say 'white people' because i got disiplined when i was younger and i was white, as with many other people. i get the kind of people you're talking about but its not 'white' people. its 'white middle/upper class, my kids are so precious im going to buy them everything and never punish them' types. hahaha :)
You really have the audacity to criticize the way Australia's indigenous people behave? How about the way your government behaved towards them until only recently? Destroy a peoples way of living the way your government did and that's the way those societies end up. It's disgusting how quickly people in Australia forget and turn into racists.
#102 - On 02/05/2010 at 10:59am by Twinklestar
#91 AMEN about correcting people. I'm getting tired of seeing this on fml. Also, all races have their good and bad people so dnt judge or think ur a better race because it's not true.....
OP punishment has to be in the same amount as much as he was bad, so unless he burned down the house u shouldn't punish him with that!
#104 - On 02/05/2010 at 11:00am by o0XMzMayX0o
I call bull shit I see black kids run around steal stuff and break stuff all the time not sayin white kids don't becuse they do
Bad parenting stereotypes are in all races so please don't act like one is better than another. White kids aren't disciplined enough... black fathers walk out on their kids... etc etc.
I certainly haven't forgotten how our government acted, and I support change of the extremely prevalent racism in our country. Your generalisation excludes progressives who work damn hard to change things around here.
#189 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:23pm by postaltubealex
If he's such a smart ass, you should have asked him how to spell "continuous".
*Unleashes the anti-grammar nazis".*
I think the FYL and YDI votes are probably directly representative of how many FML voters have kids and how many don't. FYL and good work for seeing it through. I backed out of my last grounding so I could actually get some time alone to work.
#7 - On 02/05/2010 at 6:25am by Twinklestar
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two improvements I could suggest. a) you could have whipped him like a little slave. yes he might still cry but then you wouldn't have to deal with it because my improvement b intervenes here. b) duct tape his stupid mouth shut and put him in the closet for a couple of days until he smartens up
Every evil person in the world is evil because they had a parent like you.
#41 - On 02/05/2010 at 8:02am by xandervincent
There is something to be said for the love it takes to backhand your unruly child when they missbehave during their grounding.
#9 - On 02/05/2010 at 6:30am by liveloveandownit
How was he being a smart ass? If he was actually being clever and making you think twice about what you said or did, then it's perfectly fine.
#10 - On 02/05/2010 at 6:34am by cool_kid_cone
Good for you OP. Stand your ground. Kids need to understand that there are rules and consequences for breaking them. Don't be tempted to back down or you will lose any respect or authority you have gained so far. As for his current tantrums - tell him not to be such a baby or you'll give him a pacifier.
#12 - On 02/05/2010 at 6:36am by wellinever
I agree. These pacifier responses are just another indication of why so many kids are brats nowadays.
My 13 year old cousin poured a Sprite on the head on my fiancé at Thanksgiving when he was all dressed up, unprovoked. He got a huge punishment of 5 minutes in his room crying.
You aparently haven't been to San Antonio. I have first hand experience on the matter since I spent 4 years in retail. Screaming kids galore. And the parents would do nothing to shut them up. They had no shame. This is in a town that's mostly Mexican. So don't give us that crap. I also know a few Mexican families that treat their kids just like you say white people treat theirs. So take your stereotypes and shove em. Kthxbai
#142 - On 02/05/2010 at 1:53pm by shinagami091
my mom decided a similar punishment like this and ended up letting him go cuz it gets him away from her so he could bug the scouts leader and friends xD
And you just let him have a temper tantrum like that? Learn to control your son! By letting him carry on like that your basically saying to him that behaviour like that is acceptable.. which is it not. Nip it in the bud now or it may get worse as he gets older.
Cub scouts should teach him to be more responsible and less of a smartass. So stopping him going is just hurting yourself.
Also from my experience, being a "smartass" is just part of being young. Play along and it will wear off. Unless he is using foul language.
It might be a good Idea to let him go to the campout but tell his cub counselors about his behavior.
#14 - On 02/05/2010 at 6:38am by evolkiller
Hang in there OP! I don't know what circumstances made you ground him but if you give in to his screaming, he'll know he can get away with anyway.
Too many negative votes, comment buried. Show the comment.
False dichotomy...hopefully your poor logical skills aren't indicative of your (future) parenting skills.
#71 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:18am by greatnt249
Well, firstly, good for dicciplining your son (but for being a smartass??). But stopping him from going to Scouts if a bit harsh?? Scouts I'm sure, is positive learning enviroment.
But this is the only way he will learn. If you give in he will know that all it takes is a tantrum to get whatever he wants.
reiyu your a moron....there are plenty of whites who beat their kids senseless and their are plenty of black and brown kids running around like little $hits that need a good kick up the azz. as for this parent ur kid doesn't deserve camp, u need to grow some balls grab ur kid by the arm and tell him "if u don't knock that crap off I will knock u clear into next week" and if he doesn't get it let him experience it! dont pussy out to ur kids!
#22 - On 02/05/2010 at 6:54am by dugumit
You're right, dugumit, I received corFUCKINGporal punishment as a child and it neverBOLLOCKSdid me any harm. Apart from the random swearing, and I'veSHITFACEgot that under controlWANKERnow.
I'm a whitey myself. I could care less what the typical stereotype is. If my kid misbehaved, I would gladly knock some sense into him. My mom used to beat my ass if I was being a brat. I have a few friends who's version of discipline is telling them they can't watch a movie or some other lame punishment. Their kids are completely misbehaved... Funny that the kids don't like me to come over to hang with their parents, cause they know I won't take their shit. Now, if only we could get the kids these days to stop mimicking all the bad behavior on tv and understand that its either just fantasy, or in the case of reality tv or pop culture, it's nothing but a bunch of grownups reverting back to the level of a 5th grader, then we may have a bit of hope for this world. So, to put it into terms most people can understand. Discipline your kid. catch them on their BS. Be fair, but be firm. You are the parent, they are your child. Make them earn what they get, don't hand crap to them on an effing silver platter just cause you got the money. Teach them the value of a dollar and make sure they don't short-change themselves by acting like one of those common "get-rich or die tryin" hoodlums (to you imbeciles who may take that as a racial slur, screw off, if they perpetuate their stereotype, they can handle being labeled as an ignorant fool, and thats directed to any racial group, us whiteys have one too, its called white trash). Parents need to learn to grow a pair and instill some values back into the youth.
#26 - On 02/05/2010 at 7:04am by DecepticonZombie
^^This times 1000.
I agree, kids NEED to be disciplined by a smack to the behind and their parents should NOT take their bullshit.
I was raised by a rich family, and even though my parents were VERY generous to me and my younger brother, we still understood the value of a dollar and kept out of trouble or whe'd be whooped.
Seriously, OP: That is HORRIBLE parenting. If you allow a child to act out beyond a few minutes, it's a tantrum and an attempt to force you to bend to his will. You need to gain control of the situation, because you are teaching your child two extremely destructive things: one, that you can be manipulated by being made uncomfortable or that you deserve to be punished for denying his wants; and two, that the appropriate response to being unhappy is to lose all control and not care about anyone else around you. IF your child grows up to be an anti-social criminal, you will have no one to blame but yourself.
And lastly, this is not some demon child who is beyond your control and giving you something to whine about here on this forum. YOU are creating a monster by being a passive parent and not choosing the route of actually training this kid to be a productive and well-adjusted adult. YOU FAIL.
Uhhh yeah they are. She grounded him didn't she? Besides, all the bullshit your telling the OP isn't neccessarily true. I threw tantrums when I was little and when I saw I wasn't getting a reaction from my parents, I figured out it wasn't worth it and stopped. I did the same tactic when I babysat my little cousins and it still worked. I'm a well adjusted adult now and they are too. So stop jumping down the OP's throat as if you gave the monopoly on parenting skills.
I can't believe you actually allow him to be heard! I would give him an additional missed outing for every moment he keeps up his tantrum! Your kid rules the household apparently
Ignoring a tanturm is the best way to handle one. It shows the kid that his screaming and carrying on will not get any attention whatsoever. So actually this is a parenting win.
Grounding also punishes you by having to listen to him. Besides, I'm sure he has enough toys around the house that he probably doesn't mind it unless he has something he wants to do. Instead, make him do chores. That's also a win for you.
If he is a proper smart ass, you ought to have him posting FML comments instead of going to anti-gay gay frolics in the woods.
Perdix, you've earned a very rare win from me. I was waiting for someone to mention how gay scouts is (Canteen Boy, anyone?). "BUT SCOUTS INSTILLS VALUES AND KIDS LEARN LOTS OF GOOD STUFF ABOUT LIFE LOL!" Leik omfgzz, I learned values and life lessons, too! It's called a proper upbringing! I think I know maybe two boys that went all the way up the ranks to Eagle Scout without becoming a total social outcast for being a little nancy boy. Keep your popcorn-selling and fire-starting patches; I've got a Bic.
#191 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:56pm by Back_In_Action
Tell that bitch to shut up or you won't ever let him leave the house again, much less go on some dumb ass boy scout retreat. Kids act like retarded monkeys because you parents let them! Discipline your child or stop whining and deal with the tantrums (and no, telling mikey he's grounded is not the kind of discipline I'm talking about)
I'm not so fussed by the punishment as by the reason it was given. Do you mean 'smartass' as in he was cheeky and corrected/ annoyed you? Or... I fail to see any other way that the term could mean a bad thing. If he was cheeky, that hardly deserves being so harsh. A little bit of disrespect for your elders is always healthy- he won't get walked all over by his boss, wife, or pissy people like you if he knows when to stand his ground.
But then it sounds like you just got annoyed and felt like a fail 'cause he was probably right, so upped the punishment :p
#51 - On 02/05/2010 at 8:39am by letmeinplease
Hahahah. I do the fake cry to annoy my family and also work mates somedays. I know how painful it must be though. I wanna slap people/children that do it for real.
I agree that a child needs to be grounded for certain offenses, but to take away his Scouting trip is wrong. I think the Scouts are a great organization that will greatly benefit him. Choose a different weekend to ground him and let him go to camp.
#57 - On 02/05/2010 at 8:58am by ParkvilleGirl
put him to work! Make him organize his room, scrub the bathroom floors or exercises so he doesn't have time to cry. If he whines more, tell him you will pile on the workload until he shuts his mouth.
I say OP should take his stuff until he shapes up. "What's that? I thought you were crying because you had too many toys! Such a generous child, wanting to give his toys to charity like that..."
#188 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:15pm by Chopperman
It's great that you grounded your kid for doing something wrong, but maybe from now on your punishments need to be more specific
Instead of just "And you can't go out for a week" maybe "And you have to do _____" or even "you are grounded for a week and for every minute you cry I take a computer game off you (for a month?) . And if you run out of computer games, for every minute of uncontrolled screaming (subject to your ruling) you will confiscate the computer/tv/phone for a day. So if he cries for half an hour he goes a month with no media.
Find your kid's currency, and use it. Good that you found the camp was a currency of his (that you can bargain with) but maybe would have been more effective as a deterrent rather than a punishment, making the camp sound like a reward for good boys, etc
OH and i just thought of something evil: Tape him throwing a tantrum and "accidentally" play it in front of all his friends AHAHAHAHHAHAHAH next camp/birthday/every event/school. THEN at his 21st. THEN at his wedding.
(I'm kidding, don't do that)
spankings and punishment while they are being done, the kids hate it, but when they are grown will thank you! How many times have you seen a spoiled child have a fit and the parent caves in to the child's tantrum? You most likely think: that mom needs to beat that kids ass! Or "Im glad my parents wern't sissies like that parent and just gave me a time out or gave me what I wanted."
Todays parents want to be their child's best friend rather than a parent and set clear boundaries, rules, and discipline.
Wow are you YDI people for real? How on earth is he letting him get away with it? OP is quite clearly ignoring the tantrum therefore not letting the brat get his own damn way. I know that how I was delt with when I was a child, if I threw a tantrum is was ignored no matter how long I carried on. And I never got anything from throwing one. Letting him carry on but ignoring it shows the kid he's not gonna get what he wants just from kicking and screaming. Good parenting imho. Sure scouting can be helpful, but its also something the kid really wants, making him miss out on one campout to show him that being disrespectful is wrong will make him think twice next time he goes to do it. And thats the problem with kids these days. Hell, I'm only 20 and I'm still disgusted at the way children these days speak to their parents, had I spoken to my mother like that when I was a child it would've been world war 3. Discipline your child. Don't cater to their every whim. Make them miss out on a thing or 2 if they misbehave, or they'll end up thinking the rules don't apply to them and they'll be a mess when they're older.
If I could like this comment a million times I would. You brought tears to my eyes with your common sense. Thank you so much for not being a pushover :)
YDI for not letting him go. My gosh let him do something constructive--he will be outta your hair, too!
Tough stuff, but hang in there, OP. You're doing the right thing. I'm not a parent, but I am sure of it. I frequently do my court reporting work in the county juvenile hall. Generally it is not the kids who really weird the staff out, but the parents and the insane excuses they make for criminal behavior.
I wish more parents were like you so that juvenile detention centers would be hurting for business.
I say good job OP! stood your ground. but I don't think I would put up with the howling. tell him every tine he cries counts for one more cubscout event he gets to miss
#72 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:24am by xxmarlboroxx
It's nice to see a parent who punishes children for bad behaviour, But I wouldn't really stop your son from going to the cubs just for being a smart ass, if it's a small thing like that I'd just take away a game or something until he apolagised. Stopping him from going to cubs would be for something like stealing or setting something on fire or something really bad like that.
Mind you, my kid is only 11 months old so I haven't had to think about punishment yet lol So I'm not really all that qualified when it comes to punishing children.
But FYL cos my daughter can really cause me hell when she cries for hours on end when she refuses to go to sleep so I know how you feel having to listen to a child throw tantrums lol.
#73 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:27am by epanssereves
Obviously 90 percent of these responses come from people who are not parents. Good for you OP. Unfortunately, frequently appropriate punishments hit you too. Let him have his tantrum, if you don't react to it there will be no reinforcement for future tantrums (and negative reinforcement is reinforcement).
#74 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:32am by geordieboysgirl
I can neither FYL or YDI. All I can say is 'Thank you for being a parent'. If you let him get away with the tantrum without punishment though, then you deserve the headache.
And for those saying 'punishment and crime', it is your right to ground him for infractions of any kind, and the consequences don't care what the calendar says. Don't give in! All that teaches is that you are a pushover and he can get what he wants by screaming.
You totally deserve it for punishing your kids. You're not supposed to instill a sense of right and wrong and teach them respect like any other decent parent would. Otherwise how else are the going to blend in with the rest of the stuckup assholes in today's society?
I don't understand why people are saying the OP shouldn't have prevented him from going on the retreat? Obviously the kid KNEW the retreat was this weekend so maybe he shouldn't have been acting like a smart ass in the first place.
However, I don't think you should have let him keep throwing a tantrum for 3 hours. That's slightly ridiculous.
#80 - On 02/05/2010 at 9:50am by poeticpunk77
Grounding is stupid. Maybe you should try to actually talk to your kid.. 'Ever heard of "democratic education"..?
#87 - On 02/05/2010 at 10:00am by weheuw
YDI for not adding more grounded time because of his childish behavior.
Every time he slams doors, add another day. Eventually he'll get it.
#88 - On 02/05/2010 at 10:01am by turdburgers
No dad to convince him to shut the hell up? Call the Scout Leader. Enlist his help in explaining to your son the consequences of his poor actions. And wh
#89 - On 02/05/2010 at 10:02am by Joceannora
Are you really complaining about being a parent?
Don't have kids if you're going to be a whiny bitch about it.
#90 - On 02/05/2010 at 10:02am by minirhyder
what on the HELL were you thinking? are you going to ground him from his vitamins next time he misbehaves? smack his ass and be done with it! dont take away things that will help him in life. think out your consequences..
Make sure you don't make your son bitter towards you forever (it does happen with the wrong punishment) but don't let him off either. Offer him a switch: he gets to go to the cub scout event, but he also gets double or triple the grounding time (say, from one week to three weeks). If he cares that much, he'll make the switch; if he doesn't, he's not that upset.
#97 - On 02/05/2010 at 10:28am by rockstatic
Too many negative votes, comment buried. Show the comment.
You can't talk to or reason with a little hell spawn like that, it only reinforces his thoughts that he is in control. You have to show him who the boss is. Spank the crap out of him and tell him "I'll give you something to cry about!". Then tell him if he starts acting like an ass again you're going to whip his ass with a belt. Then tell him after the belt it only gets worse. He'll shut the fuck up.
#98 - On 02/05/2010 at 10:32am by Gobsnoglin
i remember throwing a fit like that when i was little, my parents grounded me from a birthday party for being a smartass *quel surprise* and i freaked. However, my parents didn't put up with my crap and told me to go to my room and be quiet or else. That's good parenting right there, stand your ground and don't let your brat of a child win.
#103 - On 02/05/2010 at 11:00am by PinkRoseLove
You did the right thing. Oh and don't even acknowledge his screaming, if he realizes it doesn't have an effect on you, he'll learn to stop eventually.
#108 - On 02/05/2010 at 11:28am by autistic_pride
Seriously, what the fuck has happened to free speech? If your son has something to get off his chest, then let him do it. YDI
#109 - On 02/05/2010 at 11:32am by The_Toxic_Mite
Keeping him out of a Cub Scout event during a grounding is like barring him from going to school during a grounding. In other words, you're an idiot. Secondly, your kid shouldn't be allowed to throw a tantrum for three frigging hours straight...step up and be a parent FFS! I swear, parents today are so ridiculously lazy, it's not wonder the world is going to poop.
Hey. You're the parent, and he's the child. It's your job to parent him, not visa versa. It's your responsibility to impose disciplinary correction so long as they don't break the law (FTR, what you did doesn't break the law). Anyone who says otherwise should be ashamed for imposing their will over yours and declaring your responsibilities to be their own. They have no right to do so (rather ironic, huh).
That said, you failed as a parent. Though you omitted the specifics, the punishment does seem excessive to the "crime," despite being within your bounds to correct him in such a way. More importantly, letting him get away with his temper tantrum as you are only serves to teach the brat that certain acts warrant consequence where others don't. This will only confuse him.
Lastly, I just can't see this as an FML. Despite the limitations of human existence, your kid would know better than to throw a fit, smart off, etc if you had already made it abundantly clear that it wasn't acceptable behavior. Throwing a fit for three hours would suggest that he doesn't, or that he may otherwise have been spoiled. It may be a fluke, but I have my doubts of that.
#112 - On 02/05/2010 at 11:51am by blastvortex
Ack. I forgot to mention that grounding your kid from Scouts isn't the greatest idea. Cub Scouts can be a great teaching tool, ethically and morally as well. It probably wouldn't hurt to think of better things to ground your kid from.
#114 - On 02/05/2010 at 11:57am by blastvortex
Tell him that if he doesn't shut it, you'll really give him something to cry about. :D
#115 - On 02/05/2010 at 11:59am by Edenbeam
It's good that you punished him only if he was being disrespectful.
#118 - On 02/05/2010 at 12:15pm by teacher411
If only parents punished their kids properly, you wouldn't be in this predicament. Smack him til he cries, he'll learn:
1) Being a smartass gets your ass kicked (tip: it does out in the real world, too. It's a valuable life lesson.)
2) Only to step out of line at his own risk.
So basically, YDI for pussing out on punishing your kid.
be an inforceive parents and ground his ass again if he doesn't start behaveing it's not that hard!
#121 - On 02/05/2010 at 12:37pm by Whiterabbitm1
push over parents...beat that ass but I'm sure ur too soft for that. let me guess ur toughest form of punishment is timeout. tell him if he wants to cry u will give him something to cry about and if he continues he will get some more. get his ass in line or when he gets older he will disrespect u, be spanking ur ass and putting u on punishment.
#124 - On 02/05/2010 at 12:49pm by olw25
Stay the course; if you relent, he'll only learn that this type of behavior gets the results he wants.
#125 - On 02/05/2010 at 12:50pm by Kristoffer
your son is a little shit. I would have slapped him already.
#126 - On 02/05/2010 at 12:54pm by TotchiNeko
honestly bringing race up is stupid. there are shitty parents from every race. whether they don't discipline or they discipline too much.
#127 - On 02/05/2010 at 1:00pm by TotchiNeko
dont make him miss an important milestone in his life. Smack him on the mouth next time. he wont be a smartass anymore
dude you have to follow through. hes just trying to test you. let him cry. if you sucker in, he`ll just keep doing it every time hes bad cuz he knows you`ll give in.
It's not cool to ground him for being a smartass. You're causing him to miss his important campout for such a small offense as that? Maybe if he had gone and egged someone's house, then that would be understandable, but you shouldn't give him such an extreme punishment for something that small.
#131 - On 02/05/2010 at 1:23pm by snickerdoodles
That's a pretty cruel punishment for being a smart-ass. He's just a kid, give him a break. I think he learned his lesson already.
#132 - On 02/05/2010 at 1:25pm by jeannine_lee
OP ydi. I know how it feels, my mom grounded be from going to the gym when she knows I want to lose weight. SMH!
I can tell which of these comments were written by people who are not parents. Yep, you all know EVERYTHING about parenting (until you have a child). Funny.
#134 - On 02/05/2010 at 1:28pm by jeannine_lee
today I came in fml to read some funny comments, instead I found some insecure parents discussing the ways to descipline their kids.. FML
#135 - On 02/05/2010 at 1:35pm by superHydrate
Ahh I'm so glad I don't have kids. I bet you were looking forward to gettin rid of him for the weekend too
Oh yeah and theres nothing wrong with smoking pot and laying a hand on your child is abusive. I love how people are frightened of weed but will beat the crap out of their children. Way to go!
keep your son in check. make him learn his lesson or he will walk over you and give you real parental issues in the future. like high school where they all seem to have something up their ass.
#139 - On 02/05/2010 at 1:44pm by YellowPeople
you're a bad parent for letting your son become a bratty monster
#143 - On 02/05/2010 at 2:07pm by HunniHeart
Oh, you are being punished, kids punish parents for disciplining them but it's because they want to test the boundary you set down. He's testing you to see if you'll get sick of his reaction and just send him away. Don't back down, that will be the real FYL if you do. You can, however, make it clear that the stomping etc WILL stop.
Begin removing everything from his room but his mattress, bedclothes and two outfits. Everything. Then confine him there, he can only come out for bathroom breaks (Hell, on the job you only get to go every two to four hours if you're lucky, that's not abuse) and for dinner (if he doesn't eat right, he eats it in his room). That will surely drive a point home.
The key here is to stick to what you said. Oh, and good behavior earns him stuff back and bad behavior puts him back to square one.
Good luck!
#144 - On 02/05/2010 at 2:10pm by TryToBeKind
you are the biggest asshole ever for 1 grounding your young child. 2 for not letting him live his childhood to it's fullest. and 3 for not realizing that he is a child and he probably didn't even know he was being a smart ass. dickhead.
#146 - On 02/05/2010 at 2:39pm by anhero333
so you grounded your son for being smarter than you but that only made things worse for both of you guys...he wasnt being a smartass, you were just being a dumbass.
I happen to be the OP and to the folks who think I am mean because I didn't let him go to the scouting event: it is a SPECIAL event. He's not out of scouts. He just needed a really serious wake up call. To the folks who think I am mean because I punished him for being a smart ass: The reality is this was a compound offense. He got into trouble for not doing what I asked and got a minor punishment (chores). He got mouthy about the chores and lost his special event. To the folks who think I need to paddle him more: you may be right but he's getting too old for that. To the folks who think I shouldn't let him throw the tantrum: Awesome idea, beyond smacking him as suggested and grounding him as done, what's the methodology for that? He stayed in his room to howl and holler. I ignored it and posted my FML. Special event at school next week will be cancelled too if he keeps it up. Love my boy. Tough love today.
You're doing a great job, then. Sounds like he's maybe 9 or 10, which I agree is a little old for a whooping (except for very severe offenses), and you're doing pretty much all you can. My younger brother is 14 and still throws tantrums like this... the best thing to do really is to just ignore it.
Fuck all the people bitching about your parenting- keep it up and your kid will appreciate it when he's old enough. I know I certainly thank MY parents for it, now that I'm 21 and well adjusted :)
I can picture how the punishment went
Dad:Mow the lawn
Son: okay
Five minutes later...
Dad:You haven't finished mowing the lawn yet?! Now you have to do chores as punishment!
Son:Okay
Five Hours later...
Son:I'm done with the chores
Dad:Don't Get mouthy with me! You're Grounded!! and forget about the yearly campout!!
Three Hours of silence Later...
Son: I think this punishment is slightly unfair.
Dad: God!!!! I can't take your yelling any more!!!! I'm gonna post about it online and if you keep this up you'll miss your special school event too.
I want to know the case of smart-assness. did he say something witty like that's what she said or did he like oh I dunno.
#155 - On 02/05/2010 at 3:15pm by Snake_Monkey
I believe in instances like this, my mom would say that she'd let me off the hook just this once, but do it again and the punishment would be worse, and I'd be a little angel because she was so merciful and I was so grateful.
it's called the iron rod. use it and beat the life out of your son until he regains consiousness only to find himself in a ditch. parents these days are weak...
#160 - On 02/05/2010 at 3:46pm by dphilipson12
OP you dumb bitch, go fall in a river full of geese shit and drown. YDI
#162 - On 02/05/2010 at 4:34pm by what_the_fail
Hah! Peter Chao wouldnt let his mom ground him. Besides, hes far too busy going to work at the RR ;)
Small Edit: Good job OP! Keep strong, your kid needs to learn somehow. I hate it when I see kids with their parents getting away with something that I would have stuck MY kid in a corner for 5 minutes over.
Makes me want to parent the parents.
Child smartasses piss me off. If he really said something that rude, you should hold fast. In fact, parenting books would say you should follow through with the punishment no matter what (you wouldn't want to present an image of inconsistency).
#166 - On 02/05/2010 at 5:21pm by NoteMyGrin
@20...the fuck u mean Satan... u devil...leave the kid alone.. always beat ur kis... BS...u kids will kill u soon..go to hell
its not bad to beat ur kids....i say beat his dumbass untill he stfu. that will teach him to be a lil bastard
#169 - On 02/05/2010 at 5:48pm by omgtooweird
I agree - keep him home. He'll learn a lesson from this. Just stick to your guns - consistency is key, right?
#172 - On 02/05/2010 at 5:52pm by phantomdonut
Today, my dad grounded me from the boy scouts campout that I've been looking forward to for months because of a smartass remark. After three hours of silence I complained once, so my dad posted online that I was having a three-hour tantrum.FML
Jesus CHRIST, OP, he's not a smartass, you're a dumbass. From this FML, I can tell that you're the parent and he's the kid, but YOU act like a child. You punished him for EXISTING. If you don't want kids don't have any, retard.
#175 - On 02/05/2010 at 6:14pm by aaaaa2p
YDI for grounding him because he was being a smart ass. There are a lot more problems to worry about hten a little back talk. Really? Get over it. Let him go to the Cub Scouts. At least it's a good, educational program.
#179 - On 02/05/2010 at 7:12pm by Daddys_Defect
Yeah, no kidding. Grounding him "for being a smart ass" just seems way over the top... that's not even a real reason. And he's missing his campout for it? FHisL, YDI.
A little too far?
Not nearly far enough--jackslap that kid!
#185 - On 02/05/2010 at 8:19pm by The__Redneck
Oh my god, you guys. YES, HE DID DESERVE IT. If any of you knew how many campouts Scouts go on (assuming he will continue beyond Cubs Scouts), missing one weekend is not that bad. OP did absolutely the right thing; you give shit to your parents, you get privileges revoked. Camping with his troop is a PRIVILEGE. His mom probably pays his dues anyway, so quit bitching at the OP for being a proper parent. Also, ignoring temper tantrums is what you're SUPPOSED to do. If you pay attention to them, you're only fueling the fire. They will tire out eventually, even the most stubborn child. Eventually, they'll learn that throwing such tantrums will get them nowhere. That's ALL TANTRUMS ARE: attention seeking devices.
#192 - On 02/05/2010 at 10:06pm by Back_In_Action
its bullshit to just puss out and let him go camping, cause he'll just pull that crap again and again. and there is NOTHING wrong with giving kids a spanking when they deserve it, my mom sure did didn't hinder me in any way, and i wholeheartedly agree with her parenting skills, btw she's hispanic :).
#198 - On 02/06/2010 at 12:46am by deathletterr
It seems that the cub scout camp out would have been good for him...what with the discipline building and such...
#202 - On 02/06/2010 at 2:17am by battlemedic
YDI for sending him to cub scouts
YDI for raising a soft-c*ck for a son
YDI for not KEEPing THE PIMPING HAND STRONG
two things:
1) when kid hands you tantrum, hand him a wearing-out of the behind. as the old adage goes. i think. and eff that child abuse bs; don't go punching your kid in the face. just get that belt and beat that booty.
2) what are you gonna do next? ban him from school? find another way to punish your little one other than not allowing him to learn stuff in a positive environment. seems a bit counterproductive, if you asked me. thank god you didn't.
it's just like everyone else said.
|the kid|
#205 - On 02/06/2010 at 5:38am by TheNewGuy03
Don't let this kid get away with his crap, he will not respect you if you let him get away with it. If he learns that throwing a tantrum works then you'll definitely get more of them later.
Also, get the belt out if it doesn't stop, don't put up with crap, you have to show who is the leader in the house.
#206 - On 02/06/2010 at 6:04am by ihavenoideawho
I'd laugh if my son acted like that...because I'd know he got it from me. ;D Seriously though, if he's young enough to throw tantrums about it, I would have given him a REAL reason to cry.
Your an asshole, if your not going to take the responsibility of having a kid, why wreck his life just so you can have 1 good night? Jackass.
sounds like you deserved it more than him, too.
maybe if you acted as a good example yourself instead of punishing every little thing he wouldn't be a smartass either. Or maybe if you weren't so oversensitive.
Suck it up, it's part of being a parent. Of course it's going to suck for you, but if you let him get his way just because he has a tantrum, then he will grow up to be a total shit.
#220 - On 02/06/2010 at 10:01pm by smackieonassis
spank him. just take him to his room, sit down on his bed holding his arm, tell him brats get punished and hes been a big one. then pull him over your knees, tug his pants and undies down, and give him a red little bottom. hes finished when hes crying but stopped resisting. then pick him up and hug him while he cries it out. u both win---> he will be good and u just strengthened your bond with him..
YDI for being a bitch! Not fml fysl for having a fick face bitch for a mother!
#223 - On 02/07/2010 at 11:07pm by eatmybeans
Spare the rod spoil the child. Scouts teach discipline and to be honest it was probably a bad move to ground the child. Make the discipline swift and decisive. Grounding can be manipulated, a beating can't.
wow you will always have a demon brat at this rate! you obviously don't punish him correctly and let him off the hook when you do! yes he needs his ass whipped but I think you should attend parenting sessions to learn when to punish him and to what severity. I feel sorry for the both of you!
This is a good example of an unbalanced cause-effect relationship. You need to keep the punishment in proportion with the crime. Grounding little Junior for being a smartass is a tad extreme.
#231 - On 02/18/2010 at 9:27pm by sweetkraut
Your son should give you more respect and you should make his punishments harder. That'll teach 'im.
#232 - On 03/03/2010 at 2:21am by mkylem
how dare you do that to a fellow smart ass YDI big time I wouldn't blame him for any of that yelling and stuff your fault OP I love being SMART ASS it's better than being a DUMB ASS haha haha YDI
#233 - On 03/07/2010 at 7:02pm by trumpetGIRL12345
there are different kinds of asses SMART ASS
DUMB ASS
JACKASS
ASSHOLE
FAT ASS
WEIRD ASS
out of all these smart ass doesn't sound so bad now huh YDI
#234 - On 03/07/2010 at 7:07pm by trumpetGIRL12345
