Finally it's Friday!!

Afternoon folks,

A bit late today but like my ma used to always say, better late than never.  Funny how that never was the case when I was late for supper or late coming home from school.  Hmmm

Parenting is a strange force.  You remember that "This is going to hurt me more than it is going to hurt you!" saying?  This usually was spoken prior to a beating of some form which was typically determined by the severity of the offense.  You see, my parents taught me cause and effect at an early age.  I talk back, I get a spanking.  I yell back, I get the wooden (later upgraded to plastic) spoon.  I get angry and punch a wall or door, I get Dad.

{shudders}

Of course when the severity of my disobedience increased so did my punishment.  After my parents decided I was getting a bit too old to spank, they decided to ground me.  Grounding is such a funny term because it comes from pilots who would sometimes be grounded when they broke the rules or disobeyed orders.  In the traditional sense, being grounded meant you lost  your privilege to fly and had to remain on the ground.  While pilots are still grounded today, the phrase was probably originally used by a military father who told his child they were grounded which meant they lost their privileges.  This later turned into "grounded from TV" and "grounded from video games" for those of us who enjoyed such things :)

Now that I'm older and a parent, I'm starting to see the benefit of grounding and find using that tactic works well with my children.  I observe them and find things they enjoy doing.  The easy ones are TV and Computer, but there are also some others like playing outside with friends that usually sets my kids off and typically changes their attitudes quick.  I can't say I overly enjoy "grounding" my children, but it is my responsibility as a parent to ensure my children are ready for the world when they reach the right age and are able to cope with things like disappointment, loss and authority.  Being able to cope outside of the family unit is the main reason we should discipline our children.

But what do I know? :)  I've been a parent for just over 7 years and there are people who are reading this who have been parents for over 30.  So let me open up the forum here and see what all you other parents think.  How do you discipline your children and what is the main reason for doing so?  I look forward to reading some of your comments.

Until next time folks, I must be off.  The weekend is just around the corner and I can't wait!!!

Cheers,
Al