Several people (some here, one in another thread) took issue with my “feed the kid to the bears” tactic. So let me reply to all points raised:
Long term trauma – Please. If this one incident puts this kid in therapy, then his childhood was anything less than ideal. I was told the boogeyman would come and get me if I did not behave. It kept me in line for 20 minutes, and then I moved on. Until the next time I was told, and soon after, I forgot about it. Rinse, wash, repeat. Why? Becuase my mother told me not to worry that narishkeit, and WORRY ABOUT THE POTCH I WOULD GET if I don’t stop picking on XYZs kid (or whatever the crime was).
Was the threat too harsh? Why did’nt I “talk” to the kids mother? Becuase she was too busy “talking” to her little mazik, and in the meanwhile, my kid was afraid to leave the portch. So.. should I have kept my kid indoors? Pack up and go home? Teach my kid to fight back? None of those seemed practical, so I went with plan B (which worked quite well, thank you very much).
Funny though was the comment to my “5 alarm code one” situation, where it was suggested that the out of control kid be “picked up and carried outside”.
Are you kidding? Lay hands on another persons child? A person no less, who has, shall we say, liberal, enlightened, ideas of parenting and social etiquette?
Can you spell LAWSUIT? No, I think that idea would not be in my top 10.. unless the kid had a pistol, and even then I’d try the ice-cold meanacing voice.( Come to think of it, if he had a pistol, he could use it on the bear!)