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How would you have dealt with this ‘tween situation?

As we’re leaving a friend’s place tonight (after sitting around the fire pit) my tween gets on his scooter as though he’s going to ride home alone. I tell him to put the scooter in the Jeep and get in (it’s dark at this point and I’m not going to let him scoot home alone)
Now he’s pissed (teenaged hormones!) and he’s questioning me. After some discussion, and as he’s seated in the seat next to me, he says cockily, “ You better not try to stop me from riding my dirt bike like this, or else I’ll make your whole weekend miserable!”

Of course I responded with some version of “Ha! Who do you think you are? As if you have that kind of power!”

He said “Oh yeah,? Like you can stop me....I know how to syphon gas”

(Earlier in the night, we had discussed the fact that he needs to earn his tanks full of gas when we are out dirt biking, and that gas isn’t free)

Anyway...at that point I reached out and smacked his mouth. As far as I am concerned, he deserved that smack. He was being totally cocky and the smartassery was running rampant!

How would you have dealt with it?
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SW-User
My issue with him slapping across the mouth is... what could he have learned from that? Is it ok to slap a man or woman across the mouth when you disagree?

Sure... after he slaps someone else, you can explain to him that it’s something only done between family members.... but even that doesn’t make sense.

Did you “control” this isolated event? Sure? Did you make the next round of the fight any easier? No.
ImpeccablyImperfect · 51-55, F
@SW-User This wasn’t a simple case of ‘disagreeing’ though. (Nor was it an isolated event, as it happens all the time). This was pure and blatant disrespect and pushing of boundaries. I believe the smack (not a full-on slap across the face, but a smack/flick on the mouth) was a natural and justified ramification for mouthing off as he did. The issue with mouthing off and misbehaving has been going on for years already and I have done my best to take control using other measures all along. Clearly to no avail. Am I proud of the fact that I had to resort to this? No. But I have always believed that sometimes, these measures are necessary when it comes to raising kids.
morrgin · F
@ImpeccablyImperfect this is an excellent resource...https://www.empoweringparents.com/articles/
ImpeccablyImperfect · 51-55, F
@morrgin Thanks! I have been subscribed to that site for years now 😊👍