A different six-year-old boy was subjected to horrific punishment while being babysat by his aunt. What followed was an understandable uproar from the parenting community. The little boy’s aunt was babysitting him while his parents had a nice evening out to dinner. She learned that as punishment—again and again and again—he had been made to kneel with his back to a wall for hours.
While babysitting, the aunt found out that the parents called this practice “quiet time.” She was appalled to hear that her nephew had been made to kneel facing a wall for an hour. Things would get even worse if he cried or squirmed, lengthening his stay in the chamber. This approach ultimately made her feel traumatized and led her to ask for help from a parenting subreddit.
As she wrote in her original post, five minutes might as well have been forever when she was a kid. She felt that putting a child in a corner to kneel for an hour was too harsh and should have been reported.
“I recall five minutes seeming like a LONG time when I was that age, but kneeling against a wall for a whole hour… that needs to be reported.” – Another commenter
The aunt’s advocacy garnered a mixed response. Fellow commenters agreed with her view, calling on her to act. Another commenter agreed with her line of thinking, “If it’s only for an hour – complain. And others had more complex or ambivalent takes on parenting and discipline.
When the aunt asked why her nephew was treated this way, the child’s mother reportedly became defensive. The aunt shared that she felt rebuffed, saying, “She completely flipped out, saying I had no right to question her parenting when I don’t have kids.” Further, she argued that the mother had alleged that she was attempting to undermine their relationship and that she was manipulating the child’s statements.
The aunt’s experience has sparked conversations about discipline practices among parents and caregivers. Instead, some people argue for harsh penalties to act as a deterrent and punishment. On a deeper level, others take the position that these approaches are harmful and therefore counterproductive.
“I was shocked too when [he] explained it… I’m still trying to figure out how to stay involved in his life.” – The OP
Debate about this case is still raging. People across the country are asking whether it is ethical to discipline students using punitive tactics like kneeling. This incident again highlights the need to blend styles of authoritative versus helicopter parenting. In this pivotal moment, caregivers need to do their part to protect the health of our children.
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