Punishing an injured child?

[Anonymous]

Just curious but does anyone punish a child for doing something wrong if the result ends in a serious injury ? I'm thinking in the terms of broken bones, emergency room visit. Like if an 8 year old runs in the street and gets hit by a car would you still punish or is the getting hit by the car enough of a punishment? Obviously that is an extreme example but what about smaller circumstances where a child is injured from misbehaving. FYI I'm just asking out of curiosity, no child is actually hurt.

[Anonymous]

Probably not. But I guess it would depend. If DS (8) was running into the middle of the street in blatant defiance of me yelling out not to and got injured, I might consider additional punishment.

[Anonymous]

This isn't a hypothetical situation that I can answer because it would depend on the circumstances of the real situation. How can I say what I would do in a hypothetical situation when my kid runs into the street and gets hit by a car? Hopefully that will never happen.

[Anonymous]

It depends on the severity. A broken bone that means their activities are hindered? Punishment enough. A cut or something similar ? If still punish them, especially if it was something I'd repeatedly told them not to do.

[Anonymous]

In your example (I realize it's theoretical) one punishment I could think of is that the 8 year old would need to go back to holding your hand to walk on the sidewalk and cross the street, or would lose permission to play in the front yard until you felt you trusted him not to run into the street. It depends on the child's track record and the nature of the misbehavior at the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In your example (I realize it's theoretical) one punishment I could think of is that the 8 year old would need to go back to holding your hand to walk on the sidewalk and cross the street, or would lose permission to play in the front yard until you felt you trusted him not to run into the street. It depends on the child's track record and the nature of the misbehavior at the time.

See, I wouldn't consider that to be a "punishment". Rather, reconsidering what they are allowed to do based on the maturity they show. They aren't mature enough to walk on the sidewalk w/o holding my hand, they aren't allowed to. Running in the street and getting hit by a car is clearly showing that they aren't mature enough to do so.

[Anonymous]

It depends where they're injured and whether you can still spank them.

[Anonymous]

Is running in the street a repeated offense that the child has been warned not to do? Or was it an accident?

[Anonymous]

Those sound like natural consequences; no need for a punishment.

[Anonymous]

My 5yo burned herself at the stove after I repeatedly told her to get away from it. Did not push her further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those sound like natural consequences; no need for a punishment.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those sound like natural consequences; no need for a punishment.

This.

+2

There is nothing better than a natural consequence to correct misbehavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Those sound like natural consequences; no need for a punishment.

This.

+2

There is nothing better than a natural consequence to correct misbehavior.

Totally agree.

I think of it this way, OP. What would be the goal of punishment or discipline? To teach the kid not to do __, right? Well, if the kid gets hurt, don't you think that is going to do a better job of teaching the kid that __ is a bad idea better than any consequence you can dream up?

[Anonymous]

No.

[Anonymous]

My friend's son wandered and then got lost to the point of making the news, search parties, search dogs, etc. He never wandered again.