How long in time out for damage? Or a different punishment?

[strateguy632]

If a kid any age said, "mom my phone is in the car".

Ma: "wait, i am on the phone ".

A minute later: SMASH

The brat broke the window used a hammer and triumphantly waved his cell.

How long to put in time out?

Or other punishment?

Woody woodpecker suggested physical hits, but that was just silly. What do you think?

[Oliverlogan263]

Whoa dude, that's a crazy situation! That kid straight up smashed the window just to get their phone? That's messed up, not cool at all.

I definitely wouldn't go with physical punishment like Woody Woodpecker suggested - that's just not the way to handle it. You gotta find a more constructive approach.

In terms of time out, I'd say that kid needs a solid 30 minutes at least. Maybe even an hour, depending on their age. They need to really think about what they did and why it was so wrong. Smashing a window is no joke.

But time out alone isn't enough. There's gotta be some real consequences too. I'd say the kid has to pay for the window repair out of their own money, if they have any. Or maybe they have to do extra chores around the house to earn the cash for it.

And you'd definitely want to take that phone away for a while too. At least a week or two, maybe even a month depending on the kid's age and how bad the incident was. They need to learn that actions have serious consequences.

Ultimately, the goal should be to help the kid understand why what they did was so wrong, and give them incentive to never do anything like that again. It's all about teaching them right from wrong in a firm but fair way.

The time out, the financial responsibility, the phone taken away - it's gotta add up to make a real impact. You don't want to just slap them on the wrist and say "don't do that again." They need to really learn their lesson, you know?

But the most important thing is making sure they know you still care about them as a parent. The punishment is to help them grow, not just to be harsh. Guide them through it, help them understand why it was wrong, and give them a chance to make it right. That's how they'll really learn.

[Vesuvius87]

That means no more phone and if they want a new phone, they will have to earn it slowly by doing chores. That way it teaches them that it's easy to smash something but harder to work, earn little money and have to continue saving until you have enough to pay for a new one.

[Vesuvius87]

Corporal punishment is awful. Studies have already shown that's damaging towards a child's mental wellbeing and cognitive process.

[Daniela1982]

Take the phone away, smash it, and say "Now we are even. Think about that before you smash my window next time. You also have to do chores to pay for a new phone."

[strateguy632]

Makes sense, "a life for a life a tooth for a tooth a phone for a phone". But taking it away is the same loss to the kid without smashing.

[Daniela1982]

True, your answer is better than mine. But then the kid doesn't have to pay for another phone, but he should pay for the window of course.