Kohlberg in Action!

[Berkut]

Jake has been known to ask why people believe in God.

What do you tell him?

That lots of people have very different beliefs about God, and we should respect all of them.

In a nutshell.

[crazy canuck]

Carl looks like an Aryan Hitler Youth poster child. 

Does that mean he will never get invited to join the International Jewish Conspiracy?

Are you crazy.  He is perfect for infiltration operations.

[Valmy]

That lots of people have very different beliefs about God, and we should respect all of them.

In a nutshell.

Great answer.  I should note that for future use.

[jimmy olsen]

[Carl] "Breaking other people's things is naughty".

[Me] "Why is it naughty?"

[Carl] "Because mommy will make you "time-out"".

[Me] "But [the Cousin's] mommies didn't make them "time-out" when they broke your tent [true: they never punish their brats, which is why they are insufferable brats]"

[Carl] "They should have. Breaking things is naughty".

Cute, what a  good kid.

[Malthus]

The secret is consistency. Anything clearly understood as a punishment and applied with justice and consistency will "work".

I'm starting to learn this myself.  As lazy & inconsistent as I generally am, I've been able to maintain consistency when it comes to keeping my (nearly) 16-month old in line.  His mom tends to bend the rules a bit, to the point where he'll sometimes ignore her when she tells him no, but will always stop (or at least pause) when I raise my voice at him. 

A more extreme example is my nephew, who is a great kid but has subpar discipline and (IMO) slow development, thanks to, among other things, everyone in the family (except for me) bending over backward to keep him from crying or being unhappy in any way

... thus ensuring he will be unhappy, permanently. Or at least, that's how I see it.

Kids need discipline: as they grow up, it is the only guide they have to classify behaviour as good or bad.

What I think (again personal opinion) is that many believe discipline must be harsh in order to be effective. I don't think this is the case - what it has to be is credible, teaching the kid that bad behaviour has consequences, and reliable & consistent.

A kid will not listen if you merely *tell* him not to do something.

One disciplinary tool I have found effective when time-outs are not enough is to remove the kid when he's being disruptive. For example, at a family party Carl was acting up & causing a disturbance - running around screaming. We timed him out but he did not stop (I could hardly blame him, as other kids were running screaming - his cousins - & their parents did not discipline them). So we told Carl 'if you don't stop we will leave". He didn't stop so we left (much to the surprise of the rest of the family I might add).

Next time, he was at a family party & running around screaming; we again told him that of he didn't behave we would leave, and this scared him into obedience since he knew we were not kidding.

[Malthus]

Carl looks like an Aryan Hitler Youth poster child. 

Does that mean he will never get invited to join the International Jewish Conspiracy?

It means he'll be a valuable operative.  Though he's not Jewish by birth, of course.

[fhdz]

Jake has been known to ask why people believe in God.

My oldest daughter's fond of those kinds of questions too.

[fhdz]

What I think (again personal opinion) is that many believe discipline must be harsh in order to be effective. I don't think this is the case - what it has to be is credible, teaching the kid that bad behaviour has consequences, and reliable & consistent.

A kid will not listen if you merely *tell* him not to do something.

One disciplinary tool I have found effective when time-outs are not enough is to remove the kid when he's being disruptive. For example, at a family party Carl was acting up & causing a disturbance - running around screaming. We timed him out but he did not stop (I could hardly blame him, as other kids were running screaming - his cousins - & their parents did not discipline them). So we told Carl 'if you don't stop we will leave". He didn't stop so we left (much to the surprise of the rest of the family I might add).

Next time, he was at a family party & running around screaming; we again told him that of he didn't behave we would leave, and this scared him into obedience since he knew we were not kidding.

The easiest way to get burned with your kids is to make threats upon which you have no intention of acting.

[Ed Anger]

So beat them.

[The Brain]

Teach them about angry God. If you gotta go, go nuts.

[DGuller]

Jake has been known to ask why people believe in God.

My oldest daughter's fond of those kinds of questions too.

That's when I'll sit my child in front of TV.

[Siege]

In that case I rescind my sole objection. Job well done.

Aside from the curly jew hair.

But it's not fair to blame you for that.

Carl looks like an Aryan Hitler Youth poster child. 

[Siege]

Carl looks like an Aryan Hitler Youth poster child. 

Does that mean he will never get invited to join the International Jewish Conspiracy?

It means he'll be a valuable operative.  Though he's not Jewish by birth, of course.

Says who?

North American ashkenazi jews are funny. You guys let the black hats tell you what you are and what you aren't. You need to live in israel for a while and learn to be free. According to our enemies, and according to the State of Israel, your kid is jewish. You should teach him that, regardless, so he doesn't get surprissed when the wolves come knocking on the door.

I thought you worked in Eretz for a while, didn't you? How come you don't know that your kid is jewish?

[Eddie Teach]

Says who?

North American ashkenazi jews are funny. You guys let the black hats tell you what you are and what you aren't. You need to live in israel for a while and learn to be free. According to our enemies, and according to the State of Israel, your kid is jewish. You should teach him that, regardless, so he doesn't get surprissed when the wolves come knocking on the door.

I thought you worked in Eretz for a while, didn't you? How come you don't know that your kid is jewish?

His kid is only 1/4 Jewish.

[The Brain]

How are you a little Jewish?