What do you think of grounding as a punishment ...

[mrsmike]

... because I can't get it to work right. DSs are 13 and 15 so spend a fair amount of time at home on their own. If I say you're grounded, they say Yes Mum, then proceed to go out as soon as I'm not around. Is it the wrong age? Am I not dedicated enough to see it through - can perhaps manage 1 evening if I'm in the house with them. Once I said to DS1 in a heated manner(he was 12 at the time) "do not go through that door" so he climbed through the window & pretended he thought this was perfectly ok. I feel like that mother in the Guardian's living with teenagers column sometimes.

i think grounding means different things to different people, so the affectiveness varies.

To my friend, grounded means they are not allowed to go out, they still get to sit in the front room watching tv, making phone calls and carry on as normal. She can ground her kids for weeks and they dont mind.

To me, grounded means you come home from school and go to your room and stay there, no tv, no phone, no bath, no nothing. I save it for special ocassions and it normally only last for a day, short, sharp, shock method!!!!

i ground ds off the pc/msn works very well.

2shoes - yeah i do that as well, but i wouldnt call that grounding, i would call that loss of a privellege, i would use no computer, no ps2 for the minor things. Also i use time out, if i feel like im about to explode

interesting how one persons grounding, means something totally different to another.

I have only ever had to ground my son twice, i think. Once for the BB gun and another for being brought home by the police for climbing on a derelict building roof!!!

2shoes- Sorry that sounded a bit smarty arsed after i read it!!, i mean when someone says they have grounded their kid, it could mean just about anything!!