How should I punish my children?

Question

...they torched my cat

Jean PaulS: I have already tried that and it has no effect on them. I usually pump them full of Dramamine or Tylenol, but welfare check hasn't come in the mail so Im broke. Any other ideas? Im really pissed and bored

Answer 1

These kids have some problems and need to see a professional.
Many mass murderers got their start torturing animals.

Answer 2

Oh my goodness...if they torched your cat, it depends upon their ages as to the best way to punish them. The punishment should be severe because they could have killed your cat, not to mention the fact that they caused it immense pain and suffering. That is an extremely cruel act and they need to learn just how horribly wrong it was. If the cat is still alive, I would find another home for it. No matter what the punishment, your kids have demonstrated a tendency toward cruelty to animals and your cat does not deserve to be victimized again when you are not looking. Second, I would find some movies online to download about animal cruelty because they have shows on cable, I believe, about ASPCA (Association for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) officers who go out and investigate cases of cruelty and neglect. They show on tv the animals who have been mistreated and show their condition to open the eyes of viewers to what is out there and what goes on daily. I don't remember the channel or the title of the show, but I've watched it a few times and it is a very good show. It's kind of like COPS, only in the form of ASPCA busting animal owners who are cruel.

I would vary the punishment from taking things and privileges away, to lengthy grounding and to exposing them to video footage from the computer or tv which shows them cases of animal cruelty so they can see for themselves how horrible this is. If your children are younger, then I would do the same thing I suggested, but in milder form. Either way, I would sit down and have a serious talk about how it would feel to them if someone torched them or hurt them in a very mean way. Tell them that animals do feel pain and they do get scared. Tell them that just because they can't talk and scream like humans do, doesn't mean it doesn't feel the same to them as it would to people who are torched and hurt.

One final thought is that if your children are hurting animals, that is often a sign of emotional problems in a child. If you suspect that is the case with your children, then counseling would also be a good thing to include here. My goodness, I don't really know if my answer is a sound one or not because I have never experienced something like this. Both of my kids are very tender-hearted to animals, even though they have both had their own share of emotional issues. I wish you the best in this situation and I'm sorry about your cat.

Answer 3

Dont give them meds like this they can od and you will go to prison.
it can cause long term liver problems too
parenting is about educating them to prevent things like behavior problems, anger and mischief from happening. have to start with day one to parent your kids consistently. not by "preaching" but by your example and communicating tothem. and giveyour kids alot of love! parenting isnt a chore it is a pleasure to know that you can help shape there future just by being consistent and loving not there friend but parent!

Have your kids look in the paper every morning for one week and have them circle all the fires that take place and how many lives were lost
Then take them to the animal shelter so they will appreciate animals. that should be the punishement for this. kids get into trouble when there bored, so just keep them busy in a proactive manner.

Answer 4

Depends on how old they are: Here is a graph type thingy:

3-5 years.- Time out

5-7 years.- Grounded for 2-4 hours

7-11 years- Grounded for 1-7 days

11+ years- No cell phone/tv/computer or grounded

Answer 5

They shouldnt have torched your cat. You should take away some priviledges for like a couple of days if time outs dont work.
You shouldnt punish your children just because you are bored. You shouldnt fill them full of drugs. They could die from this.

Answer 6

Most of the time when you do time-outs, after awhile, the child will not fear the time-out. Have you tried spanking? I'm a firm believer in spanking ONLY when it is needed. Don't go overboard with it all. Having them stand in a corner works when time out usually becomes unuseful. Take TV time away, favorite toys away,etc. Depends on what they're doing though for which discipline method you need to take.

Answer 7

It depends what kind of mistake they did.i think should them in a way that they would understand your point,not in a way that they would rebel against you.and i don't think punishment is the best answer to correct them.make them aware of your problems in a simple way.
sometimes children also need to express themselves.some do so by being mischievous.let them be as long as they are not hurt or hurt anyone else.
develop compassionate feelings for animal in them.

Answer 8

I believe grounding is important, but there cannot be televisions, radios or other music playing devices in the room, nor telephone, computer, etc. Timeout and grounding must be stripped of all luxuries besides books and decent magazines.

Answer 9

Luckily, I arrived late on the scene. Having read the rest of your questions, I should think your children have been punsihed enough.

However, if there is a grain of truth to it, it'll prove that cruel manipulation is genetic.

Answer 10

Your kid needs psychiatric help!!! If they torched a cat and didn't feel bad....what keeps them from hurting someone else?? Inform ASPCA, the cops, or somone...at the very LEAST get them into counseling....they need it...do it for your kid's future sake..
Eeek that is a tough one...good luck...