Parents, Would You Do This?
By fritz_hailey
@fritz_hailey (1334)
United States
December 7, 2006 1:51pm CST
Mom Makes Teen Stand on Street With Sign
By SEAN MURPHY, Associated Press Writer Wed Nov 16, 9:42 PM ET
EDMOND, Okla. - Tasha Henderson got tired of her 14-year-old daughter's poor grades, her chronic lateness to class and her talking back to her teachers, so she decided to teach the girl a lesson.
She made Coretha stand at a busy Oklahoma City intersection Nov. 4 with a cardboard sign that read: "I don't do my homework and I act up in school, so my parents are preparing me for my future. Will work for food."
"This may not work. I'm not a professional," said Henderson, a 34-year-old mother of three. "But I felt I owed it to my child to at least try."
In fact, Henderson has seen a turnaround in her daughter's behavior in the past week and a half. But the punishment prompted letters and calls to talk radio from people either praising the woman or blasting her for publicly humiliating her daughter.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051117/...BhBHNlYwM5NjQ-
8 people like this
52 responses
@fizza10 (1718)
• Pakistan
7 Dec 06
i guess it was a very sound way of punishing...parents can never humiliate their kids...it is very wrong to think like this...
i guess she must be a very well mom and really deserved appreciation...kids at times really need to be taught lessons and it is for their own betterment that the parents try to come up with means that their kids be never d-graded by anyone...all i'd say is hats off to such a super mom...
@fondude (1)
• United States
7 Dec 06
I am a parent of 3 and this has givin me an idea. I am always trying to come up with things to get my kids motivated to do things. Yes they are lazy. I believe that todays society breeds this laziness. Remotes for everything, Online shopping. Alot of parents these days run thier kids everywhere and pay for everything. They start to think thats how the world works.
3 people like this
@kaspyv (1011)
• United States
8 Dec 06
I agree completely! Whatever works without hurting the child and a little humiliation never hurt anyone! Wish I had thought about this when my own kids were that age.
@ljmc24 (413)
• United States
8 Dec 06
I think it is a great idea. The kid needs to learn a lesson and she is being a responsible mother and at least trying to curb her childs behaviors. Not many parents make that effort anymore, they just let them go and eventually they end up in jail because they weren't disciplined enough. I saw a bumper sticker on a juvenile transport van one time that said "Pay attention to your kids, so we don't have to" Really it is the truth.
2 people like this
@RealityChecker (290)
• United States
8 Dec 06
More parents need to start being parents instead of pals. Too many parents are afraid to upset the child by performing parental functions such as expecting respect from the child in the form of proper behavior and performance in school
2 people like this
@TrinityRose (462)
• United States
8 Dec 06
I am not a parent but I think this childs mother is actually trying to show her daughter what will happen to her if she does not get an education! It might be humilating but unfortunately life can be humiliating also. Life can be worse a million times worse then having to wear a sign! I think her mom did the right thing!
@mytwo_daughters (2663)
• United States
8 Dec 06
No, I wouldn't. you don't know who is going to approach your daughter, there are alot of weirdos! anyway, I think there are other options..I understand some of her reasoning, but that's definitely not an approach I would take.
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
8 Dec 06
I highly doubt if she took the time to make her daughter do this she simply dropped her off and left her alone. I'm sure she was within viewing distance, even if her daughter didn't realize so.
@mygreyparrot (1461)
• United States
8 Dec 06
I think if it works that it's great! I know of a few Judges who believe in this type of punishment. I don't know if it would work on all kids, but might be worth a shot!
1 person likes this
@chiquita1977 (1706)
• United States
8 Dec 06
that is a little extreme i would not do it to my kids shenoticed a change probaly because what she made her do was humilating and that mom was wrong their are other things that mom could of done
1 person likes this
@hockeygal4ever (10021)
• United States
8 Dec 06
Sounds to me like she's already tried over and over and gotten nowhere with this girl. This wasn't extreme by any means. Turning her head and ignoring that the child was making poor decisions that would effect the rest of her life would be a poor decision as a parent.
1 person likes this
@bindishah (2062)
• India
8 Dec 06
If it works then why not...but it is an extreme measure and can be justified only when all else fails.
@trenea7 (86)
• United States
7 Dec 06
I think effective parenting requires creativity these days. This action is similar to an article I just read about a mother who called the police and had her teenage son charged with theft when he opened up and kept a Gameboy that was wrapped for him for Christmas. It sounds extreme, but when you read the whole story, you begin to think that maybe extreme is what it takes sometimes. At least these parents are attempting to teach there children some personal responsibility. Too many parents in the world seem to think that lesson isn't necessary or don't even know what it is!
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,234638,00.html
@cuddlebug79705 (2003)
• United States
8 Dec 06
She got creative and it worked out well for her, it is a neat idea. She has a point and I don't see anything wrong with it. Good for her for trying something like this.
@LackThereOf (571)
• United States
8 Dec 06
So what if she embarrassed herself a bit - she's already embarrassing herself talking back to teachers and acting up. If she wants to be in the lime-light, so be it! I think the punishment suits the crime and it didn't hurt her any. I'm glad to see parents finding alternative ways to get their point across besides smacking their kids around. I'm sure that mom made her point - she said she saw an improvement. :O)
@cutiepie28 (472)
• United States
8 Dec 06
This is disgusting I would never humilate my daughter this way. There are other ways to teach them on how to behave but i would not agree with this punishment.
@talfonso (246)
• United States
20 Mar 12
Agree, agree, and agree again!
And this reminded me of a similar story of a Louisiana mother who made her daughter wear a shirt that reads, "Hide your money, hide your clothes, 'cuz I'm a thief." Why? She stole a shirt from a mall. That really reminded me of the book, The Scarlet Letter. The girl is a modern Hester Prynne wearing a shirt that says that she shoplifted in place of a dress with a big, fat "A" for adultery.
I too, think that such punishments are really unhealthy because they add to more resentment towards the parents. But I found a silver lining in that mother's punishment: at least it saved trees as opposed to wasting poster board.
@ksuccubis (71)
• United States
20 Dec 06
I think thats a great idea! better to teach her now then to let her actually suffer that fate. show her where she will end up if she does not work to pursue her dreams. Great Job mom! thats i have to say!
