When your 14-year old does not respect your request that they go to bed and stop playing video games...twice (once at the start of the night, and once when you wake up at 2:30 AM and they're still playing), there's nothing the police are going to be able to do to solve your crappy parenting.
This is a problem that started well before 2:30 AM last night and will last far longer than after the police leave.
It's the parent's own making, and calling the police won't solve things here. A kid's grades, friends and overall attitude are much more important things to worry about.
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're addressing, but requiring your 14-year old to go to bed before 2:30 AM and listen to what you tell them when you tell them is "grinding" them?
You can take issue with the games they play, too, if it's your prerogative. There's absolutely no reason in the world he should even OWN Grand Theft Auto if the parents don't want him playing it. Your kid doesn't have to grow up doing exactly what every other screwed up kid with screwed up parents let them do in life. Nobody's suggesting that you force your kid to only watch Nova and This American Life, but there's plenty of entertainment/media that kids don't need to be involved with until they're able to make their own choices in life. 14 is close, but no cigar.
You can't even begin to deal with his friends and aspirations if he's not even listening to your request to go to bed and stop playing games at a reasonable hour. This kid has a basic issue with respecting his mother...and it was demonstrated in two ways in the article: 1) he didn't listen to her when she told him to go to bed and 2) she ran away from the problem by calling the cops when he didn't listen. So, the fact that she called the cops pretty much demonstrates how she ended up in this situation in the first place.
“Sometimes I want to run away, too,” Mejia said, breaking down in tears in her immaculate apartment.
seriously, "immaculate"
flashback to classes in deconstruction theory...
The mother needs help, and true help comes not through sympathy, but the empathy that ALL parents have these moments, and that she does need strong support. Her call was a frantic last ditch effort, but a much nobler response than many parents who turn the other way.
Unfortunate that this kind of story will usually foster open (or latent) views of where the family lives- Roxbury.
Most people have access to them. Just flip it, and it stops the flow of electricity to a select few circuits ... like, those to which the gaming gear is connected.
I only had to pull this trick once to make my point. Since most games don't save, this usually makes a very clear point.
It is sometimes possible to throw on a padlock to enforce the situation - but that might run afoul of fire code.
Why does a 14 year old even have a "M" rated game in the first place? If he bought it himself, there is a store that needs to answer some questions. Oh, right - effective limits are an issue in this situation.
I actually have to applaud the mother's actions here. Sounds like she's doing the best she can, and decided to teach her son a lesson about what eventually not following the rules can lead to by having the cops come and talk to him.
What planet are you from? Teaching a lesson would involve throwing the game system in the trash and grounding the kid. Calling the cops just made the kid respect his mother even less. Is she going to call them again when she catches him on the cellphone she gave him at 2 AM.
I'm from a planet where sadly, many parents these days ignore their kids or escalate situations improperly. This doesn't sound like the kind of kid who had any respect for his mother whatsoever and would completely disregard any grounding. Best to learn respect for the rule of law at home, even in an unorthodox manner. Clearly the mother was letting him know that she wasn't going to take any of his shit no matter what.
What rules? Her house rules? and how does that involve the police? I thought the police dealt with things that were criminal in nature... How does Jr staying up late and playing video games pass into criminal? Another parent passing on their responsibility of raising their children to the police dept. Complete waste of the Officer's time.
Comments
Whew, crisis averted!
When your 14-year old does not respect your request that they go to bed and stop playing video games...twice (once at the start of the night, and once when you wake up at 2:30 AM and they're still playing), there's nothing the police are going to be able to do to solve your crappy parenting.
This is a problem that started well before 2:30 AM last night and will last far longer than after the police leave.
What a waste of officer man-hours.
That's agree, Kaz.
It's the parent's own making, and calling the police won't solve things here. A kid's grades, friends and overall attitude are much more important things to worry about.
Such a serious matter
It warrented a full front page headline.
Grinding a 14 year old under
Grinding a 14 year old under your thumb is just as likely to cause behavior problems as letting him have his way. Maybe more-so.
How are his grades? Friends? Aspirations? Worry about those, not the games he chooses to play.
Grinding? Really?
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you're addressing, but requiring your 14-year old to go to bed before 2:30 AM and listen to what you tell them when you tell them is "grinding" them?
You can take issue with the games they play, too, if it's your prerogative. There's absolutely no reason in the world he should even OWN Grand Theft Auto if the parents don't want him playing it. Your kid doesn't have to grow up doing exactly what every other screwed up kid with screwed up parents let them do in life. Nobody's suggesting that you force your kid to only watch Nova and This American Life, but there's plenty of entertainment/media that kids don't need to be involved with until they're able to make their own choices in life. 14 is close, but no cigar.
You can't even begin to deal with his friends and aspirations if he's not even listening to your request to go to bed and stop playing games at a reasonable hour. This kid has a basic issue with respecting his mother...and it was demonstrated in two ways in the article: 1) he didn't listen to her when she told him to go to bed and 2) she ran away from the problem by calling the cops when he didn't listen. So, the fact that she called the cops pretty much demonstrates how she ended up in this situation in the first place.
thanks Herald for the underhanded praise
“Sometimes I want to run away, too,” Mejia said, breaking down in tears in her immaculate apartment.
seriously, "immaculate"
flashback to classes in deconstruction theory...
The mother needs help, and true help comes not through sympathy, but the empathy that ALL parents have these moments, and that she does need strong support. Her call was a frantic last ditch effort, but a much nobler response than many parents who turn the other way.
Unfortunate that this kind of story will usually foster open (or latent) views of where the family lives- Roxbury.
It is called a circuit breaker
Most people have access to them. Just flip it, and it stops the flow of electricity to a select few circuits ... like, those to which the gaming gear is connected.
I only had to pull this trick once to make my point. Since most games don't save, this usually makes a very clear point.
It is sometimes possible to throw on a padlock to enforce the situation - but that might run afoul of fire code.
Why does a 14 year old even have a "M" rated game in the first place? If he bought it himself, there is a store that needs to answer some questions. Oh, right - effective limits are an issue in this situation.
I actually have to applaud
I actually have to applaud the mother's actions here. Sounds like she's doing the best she can, and decided to teach her son a lesson about what eventually not following the rules can lead to by having the cops come and talk to him.
What planet are you from?
What planet are you from? Teaching a lesson would involve throwing the game system in the trash and grounding the kid. Calling the cops just made the kid respect his mother even less. Is she going to call them again when she catches him on the cellphone she gave him at 2 AM.
*raises eyebrow* I'm from a
*raises eyebrow*
I'm from a planet where sadly, many parents these days ignore their kids or escalate situations improperly. This doesn't sound like the kind of kid who had any respect for his mother whatsoever and would completely disregard any grounding. Best to learn respect for the rule of law at home, even in an unorthodox manner. Clearly the mother was letting him know that she wasn't going to take any of his shit no matter what.
What rules? Her house rules?
What rules? Her house rules? and how does that involve the police? I thought the police dealt with things that were criminal in nature... How does Jr staying up late and playing video games pass into criminal? Another parent passing on their responsibility of raising their children to the police dept. Complete waste of the Officer's time.