Parenting Topic: Is Public Shaming in Your Discipline Toolbox?

Following last week’s parenting controversy of the dad who shot his daughter’s laptop in a YouTube video comes this story.

What would your punishment have been if you had stolen your Mom’s debit card to reactivate your cell phone (that she deactivated, probably because you were already causing trouble)? This teen girl’s punishment was to stand on a busy street corner holding a sign that says “I steal from my family”.

Set Up Ideas:

• Is public shaming effective as a method of discipline? Is it responsible parenting? Use an expert to discuss whether or not this is effective and to suggest appropriate ways to handle misbehaving kids.

•  Have each show player confess something they did as a teenager. Listeners vote and the loser has to stand out on a busy corner with a similar sign.

•  An idea from Eric Rowe, Executive Producer, Roula & Ryan, KRBE/Houston: Send your stunt person out to a busy street corner with an embarrassing sign. Create a wild story about why he or she is being punished, in case the stunt attracts media attention.

•  Share the methods of discipline your parents used with you when you were a kid. Did it work?

•  Have listeners share stories on how they were publicly humiliated as part of a punishment.