Question for parents.......what would you do?

Question

Our son is in Kindergarten. We recieved a call from the principal one day. Apparently our son "mooned" everyone in the lunchroom!

It took everything I had not to burst out laughing in the principals ear! I composed my self and continued the conversaion with her. When they asked him why he did it, he said he wanted to be funny. I was thinking "well, at least he was being honest" The principal decided to keep him in her office for the rest of the day. I agreed.

Later that day when he got off the bus, my husband and I discussed the issue with him. He did get punished from his toys and video games for that day and from video games the next day. We did explain to him why is wasn't funny and why it's not appropriate to show his naked butt in school.

Here's my question:

A family member stated the other day that we handled the situation wrong......that the punishment should have been more severe from the parents end. If he's doing this now, what's next?

What do you guys think?

Do you think we handled it OK?

or

Do you think we should have done something else?

He's only 5 and he tries to be the class clown. He just needs to learn when it's Ok to be funny and when it's not.

Answer 1

oh goodness! i thought you were gonna say that the person said you handled it wrong because you were too harsh!
I think that what you did was .....well....not bad by any means....just.....well,since he had to sit in the principles boring office all day,a firm,direct age appropriate "talking to" would have been perfectly fine. THEN if it,God forbid,happened again.....the punishment you gave would have been perfect.
What did the family member want you to do to the FIVE year old for goodness sake? And no,mom,this is not the beginning of him working at Chippendale's(smile) You sound like a wonderful,normal,light hearted ,world needed mommy!

Answer 2

I have an 11 year old that is the number 2 class clown in his class. He has always been funny and hopefully always will be funny, everyone needs laughter. Now, your 5 year old (that would of been hilarious) obviously has that gift, and I don't think you were too harsh. If he did it again then you should follow it up with a severe punishment because he has been told not to and it was explained to him why. I hope you thanked him for being honest with the principal too because that was a good thing. Maybe you could encourage the funny side by doing little shows at home (that don't involve a naked butt)

Answer 3

Seems like you did OK. If taking away toys works for your son, then by all means go ahead. Everyone has their own opinion about what you should do about kids behavior (my grandmother for example makes her opinions known very loudly) but you need to find what works for your particular family. Don't let anyone discourage you. My son was always trying to be the class clown. We pretty much did the same as you, and after a little while he started to realize that there are things he can do to be funny at home or at a friends house that he shouldn't do in school. It took a little while, but he's figured it out mostly. He's still the class clown (age 11) but now he's much better at appropriate things. And now if he has any doubt about if something he says or does is inappropriate for school, he comes and asks us. Best of luck with your son, I'm sure he'll be just fine, after all he's only in kindergarten

Answer 4

My 7yr son "mooned" his pre-school class when he was 4.5yrs and it took every ounce of self control I had in me to keep from laughing when the teacher called me that afternoon at work. The topping on the cake was the reason why he did it: He wanted to impress the "ladies".. (A phrase my husband used often up until this event) She was an older woman and lectured me for 15 minutes when I came to pick him up that afternoon. When I got home I explained to him why showing your butt isn't appropriate in school or anywhere for that matter, how and we "impress" the girls by being nice and helping them in school. He had to stay inside for the afternoon instead of going outside to play with his friends.

I think you handled the situation correctly. Your son is 5yrs and at 5, you feel like youre a king when you do something funny and other kids laugh. No one is scarred for life by what he did. No one was hurt. The school didn't stop operating in a normal fashion. He was sent to the principals for the day, which I'm sure had an effect on him, was spoken to and lost privileges at home for a day or two. I think that's fair. The fact that you had a talk with him about what happened is impressive! I'm a teacher and I've seen so many parents over the years just ground their kids for misbehaving, bad grades etc instead of talking as well.
If he was 11yrs and mooning people in school, that's when I would be extremely angry and a more severe punishment would have been given.
Don't worry about what other say. He's your kid. You're the parent.
Best Wishes and happy new year =]

Answer 5

I think you handled it fine. First of all, you're right - your son is only 5. He thought he was just being funny, and didn't realize how extremely inappropriate and offensive it was. He also didn't get away with it; he had to stay in the principal's office all day. I do think parents should discipline their children and be involved in what goes on at school. However, if a child is disciplined at school, I think just a small punishment at home is necessary. After all, if your son were to misbehave at home today, the school wouldn't intervene and give him a detention for it when he goes back to school. So ignore what your family member said - I think you handled it perfectly.

Answer 6

He's a kid, he's 5, what did your other family members expect you to do string him up by his toes and flog him in the town square....

Come on kids have a short attention span. Just like for time outs it's 1 minute for each year of age.

I think you handled this very well. Having a convo with him was perfect. I think the only thing i would have done differently is explained to him that school is his job in life right now and that being a clown at school isn't part of that job and that being a clown will cause him to be fired ( ie in trouble).

Unless you did that and din't mention. Other wise i think you handled it very well.

and i would have had to hang up with the principal my self or hung up my phone quietly and called back when i could compose my self.

omg to funny

Answer 7

Personally, I think you did just fine. If he was older, if he did it for other reasons, if he showed other parts - then a harsher punishment or consequences would have been in order. He is five years old, he was trying to be funny, and he showed his butt (which kids that age are fascinated with anyway). If it was to be something that he repeated, then that would also be a problem. I think you handled it well.

One of my boys said "butt-cheekers" in the lunchroom in Kindergarten and got in trouble for it because they "incited a riot" in the lunchroom (all the kids thought it was hilarious and laughed about it). I had the same reaction as you when I was told what he did. I wanted to laugh out loud. It's too bad when mild offenses get harsher punishment than really bad behavior that always seems to slip past the watchful eyes of school staff. :(

Answer 8

Lol! Like you, I just about lost it laughing reading that!
I think you handled it just fine, honestly. You made sure that you punished him, and now he realises that although it might be funny, it's not an acceptable thing to do in school or anywhere in public.
I think your family member needs to get a clue, and a sense of humour! Boys will be boys, and that's pretty harmless.
I sure as heck don't think he's in for a career as a sociopath because he mooned the lunchroom at school! :=D

Answer 9

Personally I think a child that young, who hasn't been going to school for very long, doesn't understand what's appropriate at school sometimes and what is. My children have done things before that I haven't treated that seriously the first time. I believe in giving kids a chance. If they should do it again, then I would give them a more severe punishment but I think what you did is fine.

Answer 10

I think your family member stuck their nose in where it didn't belong.

You are the parents, and know what is effective with your own child.. and hon, if the punishment didn't work, i suppose you will have to enforce a stricter one if he decides to (crack everyone UP and) moon the school again...!

Sorry but that is simply hilarious!

I have to hand it to you, i would have had a hard time keeping a straight face as one of my sons get off the school bus after a day like this.

Anyway... i think your family member needs to tend to their own life and keep their nose out of yours.