Smashing Child's Belongings for Disicpline

[RosieThePeppyCat]

I wasn't sure which board this would be the post to talk about this in, so I went on the safe side and put it here.

What are your opinions on parents destroying or getting rid of their kid's electronics as discipline?

This is my personal opinion.

Okay. Your kid has done some bad stuff, maybe failing their grades, being a bully, being bad in the house, etc. And what you think is going to help, is smashing their electronics. I get it what they did was bad, but honestly you have to think from another proseptive.

Having the thing you care about the most being smashed in front of your own eyes BY YOUR PARENTS. Not only will they not have any motivation to do ANYTHING, they know that THEIR OWN PARENTS took away the thing they value.

I don't agree with destroying them at all. Taking it away for an extended period of time is way more reasonable.


What do you think about this?

 

[Fleshy]

I think taking it away from them for a period of time is fine, it's like the modern-day grounding but actually destroying your child's belongings just seems morally wrong and counter-productive, how can that teach them anything? It's just likely to make the child grow up to resent their parents.

 

[Tensu]

You can confiscate it for a period of time, or years if needed. But smashing it in front of them seems like a waste. It would only traumatize them.

 

[visibleghost]

that seems rly bad to do. a parent shouldn't try to scare their child or make them really, really sad. smashing their stuff is probably one of the worse things u could do as a parent for punishmetn..

 

[Mothership]

Taking away for a period of time is fine. Destroying it is just plain mean.

 

[Xara]

i've had electronics or things i valued taken away from me when i misbehaved, but i don't remember ever having somebody destroy something of mine for discipline. i honestly didn't even know that happens.

but now that i do, i'm against it. yeah, having something of yours taken away sucks, but it's far more reasonable than having it destroyed. but like fleshly said, doing that is a great way to make your child resent you.

 

[Romaki]

Aggression towards a child will not make it learn discipline, it will learn violence and fear.

 

[seliph]

Basically what the others said but another reason it's bizarre to me is that usually the parents are the ones who paid for at least some of what they're destroying so like... why would you throw away money like that idk.

But yeah it isn't gonna teach them anything other than maybe to act like a violent child when things aren't going their way since that's what those parents are doing.

 

[Mega_Cabbage]

Smashing is a waste of money, especially for stuff kids play with today (tablets, phones, game consoles, etc). Just sell their stuff online.

 

[Bowie]

Confiscating stuff is fine, but smashing them to pieces? That's just dumb.

 

[-Apples-]

I would agree that smashing belongings is pretty bad, but if the child is a spoiled brat, I do think it's acceptable.

 

[kayleee]

Destroying their stuff is punishment is pretty dumb imo especially since the parent is probably the one who paid for it anyway so they are just throwing away their own money like in a way

 

[boujee]

Sounds like the adult needs more looking into then the kid.
I know I met some bad ass kids before so they probably deserve it probably not. I remember my cousin crashed my uncle car from texting and driving and he broke his phone because he seemed to be more invested in something so trivial than his own life. So certain circumstances sure.

My mom was diagnosed with bipolar disorder so she would do unrational things due to her mood swings. I remember her getting upset over my unfix bed and she broke my dsi. I was heartbroken but once I got older I realize she couldn't help it. I do know she apologized and brought me another one.

 

[TheGreatBrain]

My brother stomped on his 7 year olds action figures and broke them. I thought that was really harsh and wrong. However, the child was breaking everyone elses belongings. He just wouldn't stop. He even came to my house for a couple of hours and broke some of my things on purpose. It was becoming a big problem, and no other punishment was working. I guess my brother wanted him to see how it felt. Apparently it worked, because he stopped breaking peoples things.

I seen a video awhile back where this dad placed all his adult sons video game and consoles in a big pile in the yard. Then he ran over them with his lawnmower. The adult son was having a fit, and begging his dad not to do it. Apparently, the son would not get a job and played games all day. I kind of thought it was funny. I do however think the dad should have sold the items and kept the money.

Anyway, I don't think a parent should destroy a kids belongings ( in most cases). I think it's fine to take them away for awhile.

 

[Coach]

As others have said, it is pretty stupid to destroy it over selling / confiscating, since in most cases it would be purchased by the parents in the first place. Only if the child had been incredible misbehaved would I think it would be appropriate to sell it.

If it was purchased by the children themselves ("Save up your money until you can afford it" kind of thing), then I think selling it or breaking it would be wrong, since they payed for it themselves, so confiscating would be the only thing I would say as reasonable.

So pretty much, just confiscate it or sell it if necessary.

 

[CalamityCarrot]

As someone who has a kid - although she's currently only a toddler - I hate the idea of destroying your child's belongings to prove a point. It's a violent gesture. Violence is absolutely never the right way to deal with any issues. Ultimately you're just teaching the kid to act out violently to deal with problems later in life. I'm of the opinion that if it's necessary, items can be taken away for periods of time. Video games, access to television, computers, etc. That's part of being grounded basically. But you give the kid a way to earn the item back as well. Most kids just want attention, anyway. Or respect. Address the actual problem instead of resorting to childish ways of "fixing" the problem you think exists. *shrug*

 

[piichinu]

oh ya my dad used to smash my stuff or throw it out but its w/e i didnt pay

anD M MOM SPLIT MY 3DS IN HALF AJSFHASKFJHKASF

its rly annoying and i was like wtf *****es and didnt "learn my lesson" as u say it so...it probably isnt effective?

 

[f11]

Idk my dad always threatens to throw my phone away or flush it in the toilet but it doesn't really do anything and he paid the $300 for the phone so???

 

[tybalt_cake]

no because its like if i burned money

 

[AquaStrudel]

It's a complete waste, really. I don't think it would really teach the child anything, and I don't see why smashing something would be the better option over confiscating it. Not to mention that it was most likely the parents who paid for it.