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.

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 **** up.

@41 ^^win

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.

Tough love. How can you possibly reward that kind of behavior?

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.

Seriously, what the **** has happened to free speech? If your son has something to get off his chest, then let him do it. YDI

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.

Tell him that if he doesn't shut it, you'll really give him something to cry about. :D