In upstate NY there lives a family*. A very nice, sweet, and wonderful family. The kind of family that probably doesn't own a TV, only eats organic foods, and instead of putting them in timeout for wrong doings, they take away their speaking privileges. No lie. I remember being there for a dinner appointment and asking one of the children a question, to which they did not respond. Mother explained the child's speaking privileges were revoked AND had been since morning and would be for the rest of the day. I had never heard of this. Me not being a mother and not being familiar to all discipline methods(I was a perfect child and teenager), I thought perhaps this to be normal.... Haven't heard of this punishment since.
Hadn't thought of it much really either. Until this last Sunday. We were in Sunday school and we read a scripture about God's words never ceasing. My friend leaned over and said, "neither do Anna's." haha I giggled. I giggled because I know it is not far from the truth. Well, I like to talk. Later I teased I wouldn't speak for the rest of the night. 30 seconds later I said something.
I think I would have exploded if I were punished in the same way the children in the NY family were. Gone crazy. Rammed myself into walls, chewed my nails, and probably would have developed some kind of tick...
I would much rather get a swat on the hiney.
But that is just me.
*This family really was lovely. Children were healthy and loved and probably more normal than I can expect any of my own offspring to be.
