Do you agree with this article in “The Now” newspaper about parents being held financially accountable for their children’s valdalism?
I suggest that parents pay for their children’s intentional destructive acts, e.g., graffiti. They, in turn, make their children pay them back over time if they don’t have the money up front.
Can you imagine if kids are taught this from a very young age? They’d most certainly turn out differently if they thought they’d have to be accountable for their actions.
“Hmmmmm … maybe I shouldn’t puncture those tires as I’ll probably have to pay for them.”
“Hmmmmm … maybe I shouldn’t steal that iphone or it’ll end up costing me $700!”
… you get the idea.
But it’s not just about the kids, it’s about forcing the parents to be more pro-active in their children’s lives. Why should the rest of us pay for the damage caused by other people’s kids? It doesn’t even make sense yet parents of wild kids usually come back fighting that they can’t control their kids. But if it hit their wallets, maybe they’d learn pretty quickly.
Kids make mistakes, but it’s up to us parents to be responsible for those mistakes.
Lisa Bunnage, Parenting Coach
(email: lisa@bratbusters.com)
