In theory this law sounds good,
but as a parent of a 5 year old who doesn’t make their bed you’re faced with a
question – do you punish them by banning TV for a week or do you take them to
court. The expression on judge (Get me out of here) is solemn as he questions
why he didn’t pursue the stress-free job of sanitation man. He also questions
the fair punishment for hardened criminals who stand before him - a 5 year old
who didn’t make her bed and a 6 year old who didn’t take out the trash. Who should
get a harsher sentence? If he gives the girl a harsher sentence will he be
labeled a sexist? Will it ruin his future plans to run for Supreme Court? What
is the appropriate punishment? If he sends the kids to prison sure enough their
parents won’t get Mother’s Day or Father’s Day cards. He didn’t study this in
law school. But, he didn’t need law school to know that the toe-tapping
parents, clutching their suitcases, airline tickets and yelling, Put em in the
slammer,” don’t want justice, they want a childfree vacation.
Rather than taking your kid to
court when they disobey or don’t do their chores just bribe them the way self-respecting
parents do. $5 dollars to have your kid do their chores is better than $500
dollars in court costs. Or, use the old but stable threat – “If you don’t clean
your room, Santa Claus won’t come.” It guarantees results. I wonder if Santa’s
ever had discipline issues with his elves. What does Santa say to a rebellious
elf, “Hey, stop doing that to Rudolph or I won’t give you the toy you want for
Christmas.” It must be hard for Santa to threaten the elves; they know better.
What if Santa could take his elves to court? What a sad Christmas it would be
with all the rebellious elves and the little girls and boys who didn’t do their
chores in jail; the hardened criminals.
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