Preventative Tactics for Parents
Talk to your kids about what they’re feeling. “You want to distinguish between the kid who is acting out from internal pain from the kid who is acting out because his conscience, sense of right and wrong, and sense of judgment are so limited that he does not connect to an internal narrative of what he is doing,” Schwartzman said.
Be a support system. “Kids want to feel that their parents are supporting them,” Beaver said.
Listen before you make judgments.
Set an example for your kids.
Talk about values and morals often when your kids are young.
When your child is arrested, what do you do?
Remain calm and listen to the child’s explanation.
Do not protect your child if they are in the wrong; make them suffer the consequences.
Understand that the law is forgiving of children’s mistakes, which means that nothing terrible will happen to them.
Take the punishment seriously and make sure that your child does, too.
Have a discussion about consequences if your child breaks the law in the future.
Be available to talk with your child during the punishment process.
Callie Schweitzer is a sophomore majoring in print journalism at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Kathy Connolly, Saint Albans 08/20/08
Send them all to live with someone over 60 years old who remembers shops being closed on Sunday to allow the owners and workers to attend church services. Send them to assist in a nursing home or homeless shelter to learn the true meaning of survival in the modern world. Send them to school and exect them to stay there - keep them home from outside activities if they fail. They need to know that they are privileged to have what they have and that these privileges. teach consequences, be vigilant, don't back down and they will eventually learn.... hopefully.
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