"I lie, I steal": Mom doles out unique punishment

(CBS News) 

When traditional punishment wasn't enough, one Fort Wayne, Ind. mother took a more creative route to get her son to change his ways: She made him wear a placard publicly proclaiming his crimes.

Dynesha Lax made her 14-year-old son stand on a street corner for two hours, wearing a sign that said, "I lie, I steal, I sell drugs, I don't follow the law," after saying that few hours of community service he received for his law-breaking behavior wasn't enough.

"Since he's looking for attention, we're going to get you attention," Lax said.

The sign has garnered controversy, with people split on the issue.

"Boy, that seems awfully harsh," parent Dean Vidal said to CBS station WCBS in New York.

However, mother of three and parenting expert Tammy Gold thinks Lax might be on to something - as long as it doesn't cause harm to the child. "At first glance it seems cruel and hurtful and not something that a parent would do. As a clinician, I think about it like maybe that's the only thing that will work with her son," Gold said.

Lax isn't not the only one who has used unconventional disciplinary methods. WATE-TV reported in 2007 that a Knoxville, Tenn. father made his son wear a sign that said "I abuse and sold drugs" in front of his middle school. The son said he learned his lesson.

Also in 2007, an Alabama judge ordered two Wal-Mart shoplifters to wear a sign that said "I am a thief, I stole from Wal-Mart," according to an article in USA Today. Lisa King Fithian, one of the convicted shoplifters, called the punishment "cruel."

Parents have come up with other creative punishments, but not all have been legal. Two New York parents brought their 6-year-old daughter to their local police precinct for misbehaving. Though they claimed it was to scare her into shaping up, they were charged with child endangerment and attempting to abandon their child.

[belindapoltrino]

This is not unique! It's old fashioned parenting, and it works. I remember when my sister Cheryl stole coins off of my fathers desk, and when confronted claimed they had been gifted to her by the neighbors kid. He took her to the kid and asked "did you give these to my daughter?" The kid said "nope..." She went door to door telling her lie; until there were no kids left. Even then she would not admit it; but, eventually, after enough public embarassment she was shamed into confession. Did it stop her? No, it took a few more moments of public humiliation, like dragging her back to the store and making her give back what she had stolen, before she got it, dad will not tolerate this and will put her out on front street. It worked! So, I am not so sure that other people have the right to call this lady out and say she's too hard when she has to live with: DCF knocking on her door if she spanks him for theft, for child abuse, later criminal charges by police, and DJJ, Juvenile Justice, who will do far worse, and potentially prison, a ruined life, or even death from getting shot for an intruder. Mom, is on the right track, she has not hit him, she has called him out publicly, and why not? She is doing this to save him because she loves him. She's one hella'uve a woman! I wish we had more moms like her! Go mom!

[technocoffee]

GOOD FOR HER!!! No one can ever accuse her of not trying to do the right thing and give this brat some TOUGH LOVE--I hope and pray her efforts make a decent man out of him in the long run.

[technocoffee]

..yeah, there's not much hope for NEWT to become a decent man EVER!! Even less chance of him becoming President, thank God...

[mecanik-2009]

Well intended but misguided. It will make him worse in the future.

[goldsummer]

AWESOME ! I truly wish more parents would do this :) When my kids were growing up and I found that one of them had shop lifted a pack of gum.. I marched the child back to the store and made him tell the manager what he did. The store manager told my son that he was glad that he had the courage to step forward but was also banned from the store for a year. My son NEVER did anything like that again. He was 8 years old at the time. He understood that what he did was wrong. That it brought shame to himself and his family.And that he had to shape up. He never again broke the law. Today.. that little boy is a productive member of society as a 26 yr old member of the CAF.

[hypnotoad72]

The "I sell drugs" is going to raise more ire out of people...

But for the other crimes, I agree with this punishment.

Most kids steal at a certain age. And are punished by the parents dragging them back to the store to confess.

Granted, a sign saying "I stole from walmart" might be much, considering all the handouts they get (how does a rich company tell the government they need money meant to help struggling companies, as subsidy, welfare, etc?)

http://greatdivide.typepad.com/across_the_great_divide/2009/06/walmart-workers-on-welfare-lets-look-for-the-spin.html

How did walmart become such a company in need of help, anyway? For this?

http://www.larouchepub.com/other/2003/3045walmart_iowa.html

[thinkaboutit13]

Stick to the issue. It's about teaching the child right from wrong, not slamming a job providing business.