Running down the road

[GraphicGr8s]

So we get home from work, well for the boy school and I tell him we need to go walk the dog. Now I've got 1 acre on a dirt road. Boy runs out the back door and I follow. He was fast but I figure he's going to say hi to the back neighbor. She was putting up the horses from lessons. He's allowed there if I'm out and she is.

I'm walking with the ddog down to the gate there. Then start back to the house. Figure he was just ambling somewhere on the property since he knows he has to stay here or with Debbie the neighbor.

I'm ready to go in so I give a call. No answer. OK he's in the house. No answer. I walk back to Debbie's. Nope she hasn't seen him. I go to the side neighbor. (From my neighbor on the right to the end of our easement it is the Mother, daughter to her right, son to the left and the other daughter is my neighbor. I knock. Not there. Tim pulls up. He's the daughter to the right's hubby. Asks "Does your kid have a red shirt on?" Yes. He's down the road by the construction. WHAT!
I get in the car and pretty much gun it down the road. I see him. He sees me and starts running towards the main road. I spun the truck out in a 180 between him and the road. (Yes, on purpose) Didn't even need to use the parking brake.
He starts with the "I'm sorry daddy". get in the truck. But daddy. Get in the truck. I'm sorry GET IN THE TRUCK!!!!!!
Got back home and sent him to his room. I stayed outside talking to Debbie she had walked down to my front. he was going to get a whooping. But alas I decided on the talk. I think it worked. No yelling. Just pointed questions. And of course he's grounded. No TV. No toys. He ate dinner. Did the homework and is in the bath now. After that he's going to sleep until we leave to get mom.

Would you have spanked him?
I'm not against spanking. He's gotten the hand on the butt before.

Oh yeah. He has to tell mom.

[Mugwump]

most times a good talking to is plenty......a good whack on the butt comes when they do it deliberately, or again....and then for emphasis... ....curiosity/interest isn't really a whooping offense ...it's a teaching moment... ......you did right.....kudos....

I ended up smacking our oldest sons butt one time when he wandered off knowing he shouldn't have gone way further than was allowed...talking a couple miles....and at the time he knew better....having being told previously that he needed me, or Jan, to accompany him.....7 yrs old isn't wander all over town age...especially crossing busy roads.... 

[big b]

1 how old is he?
2 he got in trouble because he was at the construction site?

[PaulineMi]

1 how old is he?
2 he got in trouble because he was at the construction site?

He's a little guy who left the premises knowing he had specific boundaries when on his own.

I agree with "the talk" instead of spankings. Giving a child boundaries, explaining why there are boundaries and that there are consequences for their actions is, in my opinion, how they learn life's lessons. Responsibility for one's actions is important for both children and adults.

[Ron Sower]

  It's interesting how much a lot of us think alike.

G8, that's how I pretty much raised my son. From the beginning when he needed to learn something like that I would get down on the floor at close to eye level with him and do the "talk", explain why what he did was a concern, and let him talk about it; but made sure he understood. If it was the first time and hadn't been discussed before, no more than light punishment if any. Second time it was some form of punishment...usually go to your room (which wasn't really punishment  - that kid loved his room and all his neat stuff in it...!!! ). And then there were a few times he got the hand on the butt. Not many 2nd or 3rd times. I taught him logical reasoning from the beginning, explaining, ''If you do this, this will happen; but if you do THIS, THIS will happen." It works if you get down to the child's level - face to face. He carried this logic all the way to now in raising his own 3 wonderful, bright and responsible kids. 

Crap...now I wish I could go see them in Virginia today! 

[BallAquatics]

Crap...now I wish I could go see them in Virginia today! 

That's an excellent idea Ron.  You could play with the kids, (the big ones and the little ones), over a long holiday weekend and then catch the game in Blacksburg on Monday night.   

Dennis

[GraphicGr8s]

It's interesting how much a lot of us think alike.

G8, that's how I pretty much raised my son. From the beginning when he needed to learn something like that I would get down on the floor at close to eye level with him and do the "talk", explain why what he did was a concern, and let him talk about it; but made sure he understood. If it was the first time and hadn't been discussed before, no more than light punishment if any. Second time it was some form of punishment...usually go to your room (which wasn't really punishment  - that kid loved his room and all his neat stuff in it...!!! ). And then there were a few times he got the hand on the butt. Not many 2nd or 3rd times. I taught him logical reasoning from the beginning, explaining, ''If you do this, this will happen; but if you do THIS, THIS will happen." It works if you get down to the child's level - face to face. He carried this logic all the way to now in raising his own 3 wonderful, bright and responsible kids. 

Crap...now I wish I could go see them in Virginia today! 

When he was younger before he'd get spanked we would count, out loud, to three. If it got to three he got spanked. And that was the longest two I've ever seen if you know what I mean. The only time I wouldn't do the count was when he needed to stop immediately because he was going to hurt himself or me.

Funny, when I came in the house he knew he was getting spanked. He asked if I was going to use the belt. Let it be known here and now. I've never used the belt. I've never even taken it off to threaten.

He's grounded yesterday, today and tomorrow. There has to be a penalty. After he saw me flip the truck around he knew. I got in front of him with the truck because he started running to the main road. A 4 lane divided 55 mph road. From his expression he knew he wasn't supposed to be there yet he left anyway. I just can't get him to tell me where he was headed. Things he said leads me to believe he did in fact have a destination even though he says he just wanted to go for a walk. Maybe the new DQ? Don't know. Yet.

Anyway, it's no TV. No toys. Not really much of a punishment since we don't get home til six. Then prep dinner and eat. This actually has been beneficial. We went over to Debbie's so he could apologize for scaring her too. She had gotten him a book when grandma passed but hadn't seen him to give it to him. He got it tonight and he started to read it. Still not sure of all his words but he's sounding them out. Last night he got two weeks of homework done so he's ahead of the curve there too. Grounding is over come Saturday. But maybe the reading after dinner will stay. Yeah. It will.