Would you punish a 9yr old and if so how?

[Clarence15]

I don't want to go into too many details but dc (9) has done something really shockingly bad. Do you punish and if so what works? It's really bad, to do with bullying, both dh and I are mortified that our child could behave this way and I never ever want them to do it again. Can you help without any more details? I'll post if need be but I'm so upset that I'm embarrassed.

I think what you have done, plus face to face apology, seems like a reasonable approach. Apart from anything else, it will leave a lasting impression on all 3 DC.

No way is my uber-sensible rule-abiding neary 9yo going to have a 'phone any time soon - precisely because what one child would never dream of doing, 3 can easily 'dare' each other into doing.

Definitely the phone goes.

And doesn't come back except in an emergency situation (and frankly, as the mother of an 8 yr old, I can't imagine such a situation arising for at least another 3-4 years)

Plus the face to face confession and apology obviously, to both the wrongly accused child, and the child who received the text.

Old thread, BTW :)

[sigh]

Why do people bump old threads. Tis annoying.

I have no idea, and the person who did has been here since 2004 according to her profile so not a newbie doing it by accident!