A mom writes in asking for advice about discipline and punishment. This mom, who is currently deployed, said her husband grounded their 6-year-old daughter for the rest of the month because she watched YouTube videos behind his back, despite being told not to do so. While this mom agrees they should punish their daughter, she wanted to ground their daughter for just six days. She feels that her husband grounding their daughter for a month is too harsh for someone her age. Is she wrong?
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A member of the community asks:
“Is this a harsh punishment for a 6-year-old?”
“My husband is grounding our six-year-old daughter for the rest of the month for disobeying him. I am currently deployed. And my daughter, like all kids, likes watching YouTube videos. So she was told not to watch it. But as a kid, she did so behind his back. I said six days he says the rest of the month. Am I wrong? Is that a harsh punishment for a six-year-old?”
– Mamas Uncut Community Member
Community Advice for This Mom Who Thinks the Punishment Her Husband Gave Their Daughter Is Too Harsh
To see what advice the Mamas Uncut Facebook community has for this mom in need, read the comments of the post embedded below.
Advice Summary
The community offered this mom in need a lot of great advice. Read some of their responses below.
“For a six-year-old, a month is absolutely too harsh. She didn’t go get drunk with Tiffany, she watched YouTube when dad said no. Dad needs to get off his high horse.”
“Y’all are raising a generation of weak ‘poor me’ kids… F that. It’s not too harsh. It’s perfectly fine. Better to nip it in the bud now than when she’s a pre-teen and dealing with far worse behavior that you wish you could punish with ‘a month of grounding.’ Bet she won’t do it again!”
“Nope. Not at all. Grounded from YouTube for the rest of the month. Your daughter would hate me as a mom. My 4-year-old was disobeying me and his daddy right after Christmas. Guess what? His brand new toys got taken for a month then he had to earn them back.”
“A 6-year-old can’t even comprehend what being grounded means let alone have the brain span to remember what they are in trouble for. After a couple of hours, she’s not even going to know why she’s still in trouble.”
“I have a 5-year-old who watches youtube. Had she disobeyed me, I would have taken her tablet away for the rest of that day. A month for a 6-year-old is harsh.”
“He’s right, the punishment isn’t for watching YouTube, it’s for disobeying him. I have 8 kids from 22 to 7; if you can’t control and enforce control with a 6-year-old, GOOD LUCK LATER!”
I don’t have a dog in this fight, but a young mother has asked for advice. I’m a Vintage age. Our kids are grown. I can tell you, each of ours needed different approaches. Our older son was devastated if he was reprimanded! Our younger son had the shell of an armadillo/tortoise/battle clad knight when told anything; words bounced off of him like rain dropped off the eaves. At 6, the elder son received a verbal lambasting and an afternoon without ‘whatever’ it was…
… At 5, the younger son washed the bathroom floor with his dad, on hands and knees, with a toothbrush. At 6, the younger son started martial arts lessons to help with his self-control. As teenagers, roles reversed and the older became the “problem” child, while the younger focused on his future. Both grew into responsible men I am proud to call Sons! While this little one’s grounding seems excessive, if this is repetitive behavior and her attitude to verbal corrections is “selective” deafness, it may be what is necessary. Dad can always back off on the length of time if he sees she is changing her ways.”
“A month is a lifetime for a 6-year-old. That’s ridiculous, and not age-appropriate. That’s not strict parenting, it’s a power trip.”
“I’d take away her tablet for the rest of the month. Every time I take away my daughter’s tablet she suddenly remembers she has other toys and an imagination. It may do her good to be without it for a couple of weeks. But I’m not sure what else he’s considering taking away to ground a 6-year-old.”
“I do the rest of the day. Each day is brand new. A chance to make better Choices. I wouldn’t do a whole month.”
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