"Kathleen" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Penny S wrote:
> > Chris murmured while asleep:
> >
> >>"Kathleen" <
[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]... snip
> >>
> >>>She has also developed extremely acute peripheral vision and some of the fastest reflexes I've
> >>>ever seen in a 13 year-old human. A mere flicker of motion in her side vision causes her to
> >>>whip the ear-buds out while simultaneously ducking.
> >>>
> >>>Kathleen
> >>>
> >>
> >>That'd be a pretty funny story, if it weren't for all the smacking your kid in the back of
> >>the head.
> >>
> >>Chris
> >
> >
> > I seriously doubt it was damaging or abuse, if that's the insuniation. Having teens, too... when
> > they are engrossed like that, it's either a
(mild)
> > thump on the head, or standing in front of them wildly gesturing and flapping your arms to get
> > their attention, which frankly, embarasses
them.
>
> It's an open-handed thump, more annoying than painful, yet substantially less aggravating for all
> concerned than sustained verbal nagging.
>
> Kathleen
>
Mmmmm, To smack or not to smack - BIG debate over here in the UK and the rest of Europe (I'm
assuming you're in the US Kathleen).
I'm not sure if it's actually illegal here yet - if it's not there's a good chance it soon will
be and I'd probably end up getting charged with child abuse for clipping mine round the head as
you describe!
I've got two teenage kids and I've never had to lay a hand on them. Sure, I've wanted to strangle
them a couple of times over the years but it never got to that. Talking to them like adults
worked for us as it did with my parents and me (takes a lot of patience sometimes I admit). My
wife, on the other hand, was regularly slapped as a kid and she still talks about it. Emotional
baggage and all that.
And don't worry about embarrassing kids, that's what parents are for as far as teenagers are
concerned. I threaten my daughter with "Dads Dancing" if she won't behave at a party - works every
time. I've also threatened to turn up at her friends to pick her up in my bib-shorts
Later
Fred
We're going way OT here!