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.
6 comments:
Haha! That would be the worst punishment in the world and I don't think that I could have done it growing up. Unfortunately I would almost always loose the quite game!
I...WOULD...DIE!!! I'm glad your speaking doesn't cease. It's one of the MANY reasons I love you so much :)
One time after the zillionth time I had offended someone without realizing it or aiming offense at someone, (let me tell you, if I want to offend you, YOU'LL KNOW IT), I decided my personality needed a makeover and I was going to be the "quiet" one instead of the chatterbox I've always been. My friends and neighbors thought I'd been possessed by aliens. It lasted about 3 days. I was miserable. Now I'm just my same offensive self.
Whatever...you're offspring are going to be UBER normal.
I long to know of whom you speak.
believe me, i've heard of that punishment. if you ever lack for creative ways to discipline children, ask me. we had all kinds of fun ways of giving consequences for broken rules at the treatment center i worked at. that one is not even bad. try no one being allowed to talk to you for a couple of days. or having to carry a backpack full of rocks in it. or... well, yes i could go on for a LONG time.
That's a stupid punnishment! I could never do it! Although it would be quite. MMMM! Na!
Oh how I wish I could revoke my 4 year old's speaking privileges! That sounds divine. Unfortunately, the only way I could actually enforce that would be with time-outs, spankings, and sending him to his room. I think it might be better to just stick with the latter 3 and endure his ceaseless chatter.
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