If I learned that my son were using drugs, I expect my response would be something greater than an introspective frown. Then again, he won’t have learned it from watching me.
When a Knoxville, Tennessee father discovered that his son was smoking pot, et al., he made sure everyone else knew as well:
‘The boy was forced to wear a large sandwich board sign that said “I abused & sold drugs,” while standing in front of Cedar Bluff Middle School.
“I would like to say that I’m not out here doing this to humiliate my son,’ the dad said. “I’m doing this because I love him. We do have an extreme drug problem in America, and maybe it’s time for extreme measures that parents need to take to monitor this problem that we have.”‘
Read more →
WATE-TV
To his credit, the boy knows when to take responsibility for his actions: ”Well, I did do the crime and I’m willing to serve the punishment for it.’
Of course, the internet being what it is, there’s some discussion, here. Hackles have been raised, and some folks are more worried about potential low self-esteem than a potential funeral.
Remember Tasha Henderson? In 2005 she dealt a similar punishment to her 14-year-old daughter, who was misbehaving in school.
If they think a little more ‘shame’ is going to faze a middle school student, then they’ve never been to middle school. Drug abuse thrives in secrecy. Some problems can’t be solved with decorum and tact.
(Thanks, Glenn Sacks!)
Hey Bro-
It’s interesting that you posted this because we’ve been talking a little bit about styles of teaching in my practicum, and this reminded me of that. There’s one end of the spectrum that believes the teacher should assume the upper hand, controlling any and all behavior, (this one is more traditional). At the other end, the teacher allows students to choose the direction of the curriculum and are in charge of their own learning. This parallels with parenting; do you control their every move, or let them figure it out for themselves? What we discussed in seminar incited a kind of ‘duh’ response and that was: do BOTH. For every situation, the consequences and repercussions depend on many factors, and there isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ type of solution. I think this guy did the right thing. His only downfall would be if he failed to explain to his kid why he chose this route and that he loved him.