Discipline

I have to admit I was kind of nervous about Isaak's behavior lately. He's in a funk right now.

I've had a lot of emails come through today. Some saying, "My kid is experiencing the same thing!", others are saying, "45 minutes of crying?!" and a few saying that they think I handled the situation well.

Discipline is hard now a days. It used to be that adults didn't much talk to their kids. They popped them on the butt. Everyone went their separate ways.

Now if you are caught spanking a child people A) Applaud you, B) Stare you down, or  C) Call the cops on you.

There are many discipline techniques out there. That's what makes it so much more confusing. Some use "Time Outs", some use "Tough Love", some use "Talk it Out" and I'm sure there is more. In this generation parents are judged.

I have two co-workers that spanked their kids. Their kids are now teenagers. One has 7 kids, one has 3 kids. I don't spank. Do I think their kids are going to grow up to have issues? Not really. Their kids seem pretty normal to me. They on the other hand most certainly judge me for not spanking. They say, "Spanking just ends it. You spend too much time dinking around with techniques that take too long to discipline. I usually go my own way.

Today I was telling them about Isaak and Mica at the grocery store last night and Isaak's crying episode two nights ago. One of my co-workers said, "Good for you!" My mouth just about dropped. Usually I hear, "I'd just pop them one!" I said, "I feel bad..." One said, "Don't feel bad." I said, "No I don't feel bad for putting them to bed so early and missing out of the Y. I feel bad for them acting like jack butts to begin with."

One said, while the other shook their head up and down, "They will test you over and over again. Usually there is space of time where they won't and a time where they will again. It's part of growing up. They are just testing their boundaries. You're doing a good job of letting them know their behavior isn't acceptable by taking them home instead of letting them go to the Y."

One said, "I think it's wonderful they went home and admitted they did wrong at the grocery store instead of blaming you for not being able to go to the Y." 

The other one went on to say, "I like that time Travis took Mica's bedroom door away for slamming it. I would of just popped my son one, but you guys were a little more creative with the punishment."

I feel better knowing that they don't think of me as a piece of carpet that my kids are walking on. Not that their opinions matter a whole lot, but it's nice to know that they aren't talking behind my back about me being a horrible mom or something. Do you ever feel like you are being judged as a parent?