I had a teenage daughter that spray painted death threats on thejr high when she was in high school. i turned her in too! It made her get suspended for 90 days! and pay the state back $4600. She begged me to get her back into school so she could graduate with her class and I wouldnt do it. She made the mess she could fix it. She ended up going to summer school (she had to pay for it) and taking a public bus (I had taken her car because she totaled mine).
She also worked for TWO years to pay back the $4600 and every time she made a payment she had to do it in cash (and bring me a receipt) I wanted the consequences to HURT. She graduated with her class, paid back the money and never did anything like that again AND SHE SAID THANK YOU TO ME AFTER ALL THAT!!! She is a 25 yr old married mother of two and doing great!!! OUR KIDS NEED US TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE!!!

Shannon said: "I don't blame the ills of society on any one but the parents who allow their children to do what they want, when they want instead of holding them responsible for their actions."
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Bravo, Shannon! I could not agree with you more. Apathetic parents are without a doubt the root cause of society's ills. They want to have children AND careers, but you cannot have both without one getting shortchanged....and usually it's the children, because most employers will not tolerate less than a 100% effort.

Too many parents treat public school as nothing more than government-subsidized daycare. They don't attend PTA conferences to discuss their child's progress. When the child comes home, the babysitters are the X-Box, computer, or the television. They rarely have family dinners because of schedule conflicts.

The end result?

Children with no direction, zero or little respect for others, and very low self-esteem. Without the "family" element to fall back on, they reach out somewhere else....often times to a "gang", where they receive promises of solidarity, loyalty, and a sense of belonging....things they could and should have received at home by the people who are supposed to truly care for them.

Some of you will say "we can't afford to raise our family on one income!". Well, isn't that something you should have considered PRIOR to starting a family?

The truth is that many parents that have them don't need two full-time incomes. The money you spend ON work, transportation, clothing, daycare, etc. just so you can go to work can eat up most of the income you earned. Also, the money you spend on perceived "necessities" for the house can often be trimmed to help you live within your financial means.

Do you REALLY need satellite TV with 250 channels and the NFL Ticket, Premium movie channels, super-speed broadband, and cell phones for every member of the family? No, you really don't...especially when paying for these items is what's keeping you from properly performing your most IMPORTANT duty as a parent....BEING a parent who is their for the children.

In closing, before you all point the finger at the world for your problems, first look at yourselves and ask "Am I REALLY doing all I can for my children and for the society for which they are a part?" If you are honest and objective with yourselves, the answer is probably "no".

Billy I'm sorry to hear that, the typewriter and drugs not good, punishment is understood, but beatings are not.

are u kidding me? where do you come from? mars? im from a working town..ive never been in trouble since...im 50 now..what are you sorry to hear? someone would not tolerate assanine behaviour?

Good for you Billy. Parents who criticize parents like yours are those who have kids who will be self centered and the kind who will shoot up schools.
We have an entire generation of spoiled brats coming up...
Your Dad saved you from a life of prison or even death! Hooray!

No, actually your extreme negative attitude towards someone sympathizing your to many beetings in your youth. However, if you are now still a stuck up brat then maybe you deserved it.

Yeah, Billy, way to go Billy's dad. You grew up so well-adjusted, with a parent like that, that you did things like throw typewriters out of windows. No built-up rage there.

Dear Billy:

I believe we were raised around the same era...my mom had me thrown into juvie for "running away from home"... she has in the past spanked me with a belt and grounded me for an entire summer (I cut the last day of school, but didn't know that the school let everyone out early)

Anyway, what I'm getting at is that at the time my mom did each and every one of those things I thought she was the meanest person in the whole world bent on making my life miserable, but after having children and getting over myself, I look back and realize that she did what she did because she loved me and wanted to make me understand that there are consequences to my actions and if I don't want to have bad consequences than I had to make good decisions.

My mom was a very wise woman who loved her children very much, and did her very best to raise all of us to be good citizens, we did get out of hand sometimes but we never strayed to far from what her expectations of us were and that is because she taught us and disciplined us.

Thanks for your comments and please don't let the others get you down.

Hi Billy!

Great post. I am 47 and I know that my mother put the fear of punishment in us all. She was raising 4 kids alone and didnt have time for juvenile crap. I commend your father for letting you take responsiblity for your actions and not babying you.

For those who thought that was too tough, grow up! The majority of parents from my generation are idiots. I am glad my mother raised me the way she did. She also let us all know that if we got in trouble, she wouldnt be running to bail us out. Now all of her kids are independent, dont look for handouts and take care of themselves and their families.

Stop paying for the lawyer. You go so far to doing the right thing, then you pay for the lawyer. At 21, if she's still screwing up, she needs to hit rock bottom. I know it's hard, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!