Proper Punishment for wrecked car?

[myboysmom]

Today is Prom in our town. The big thing around here to do is for the boys to find the coolest, most unusual, etc. vehicle to drive to prom. Well, just over the noon hour, a 16 yr. old boy borrowed a corvette from the widow of our dentist who just passed away last year. He knew he was dying, and his last big "dream" was to buy this corvette and drive it before he died, and he accomplished it. So, his widow let this boy borrow, and he put it in the ditch trying to make great burn-out marks. My cousin and I thought it would be appropriate to make him walk through to prom, when everyone else is driving. Oh, and a little background on the boy: This behavior is sort of expected. It isn't the first car he's wrecked, or the first time he's had to visit with the police. Just curious what you all make of this situation.

[twiceblessed]

IMO making him walk to prom is not a decent punishment at all. He wrecked a car that was not his own. I think the first step is to not allow him to go to prom at all, second step is a visit to the county morgue to see what happens to people who participate in reckless driving. If this were a first offense then missing prom would be enough, but since you have stated this is expected behavior (apparently it has happened before) then I think stricter punishment should be used.

[kfiedler]

WOW! Please do not let that kid get away with simply having to walk to prom! He needs a serious wake up call! I agree with twiceblessed NO PROM! He has to visit the morgue or visit with some families of weckless driving accidents. I hate to say it but he has to walk to prom, this won't be his last "accident"!

[myboysmom]

Well, he ended up riding in the back seat of someone else's car with his date. I happen to agree with you guys, that he needs a more severe punishment. I have no idea what his parents are doing yet. I'll have to talk to my cousins in his class and see what the deal is, but I really doubt it will be what it needs to be. He is the youngest of three kids; younger than the 2nd by 9 years. And I really hate to see this pattern, it happened with my own family. The youngest always seems to get away with murder. I'm the oldest, so I guess I'm a little biased. But everywhere I look, the youngest child in a family seems to get free reign, and it isn't fair, nor does it do anyone any good. I hope to God that b/c I see it with my brothers and it makes me so mad that I will not do it to my kids, but maybe it is something that can't be helped. (but I don't think so) Does anyone else notice this pattern? Maybe I should start a new thread.

[kfiedler]

I am the youngest in my family of 3 girls. I put my parents through hell. I didn't get away with any of it. Each time I did something dumb they punished me, then I went and did something eles dumb. Well I learned my lesson. I really never got free reign I was always grounded. I feel some parents do get slacky when it comes to younger kids. My older sisters broke my parents in with the whole boyfriend thing and that was it. Everything eles I did was totally new to them. But I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't be that kind of parent.

[myboysmom]

Good for your parents kfiedler! I'll just bet you're a better person/mom for it, too. I still get so mad at my parents sometimes!! And I'm going to be 28, my youngest brother is 23.