At some point the kids need to know that they are kids and parents are parents. Too many kids today don't realize there are consequences for their misdeeds.
Mishawaka Mom Hopes Punishment Makes Kids Regret Misdeeds
http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/96975149.html
April, 12, and Patrick Kraniak, 13, stand in front of a sign their mother,
Rita Strang, posted in the front of their Mishawaka
home as part of their punishment.
Summer's here! Kids celebrate being out of school, staying up late and enjoying freedom. But not Patrick Kraniak and his younger sister April.
"We have to sit out here for the rest of the summer," the pair explained with heads hanging low.
The Kraniak siblings sit on a picnic table on their front lawn behind a neon poster board. "We're grouned 4 stealing & sneaking out 'HONK' if you agree with grounding" is written on the board. One word to describe what they're feeling: "embarrassed." April, 12, admits that she is the one guilty of stealing. She said that she has stolen several times before, but it was stealing soda from firefighters that caused this punishment.
"I told them I put a dollar in the machine and they gave me a dollar, and I got two pops," she said of her trips across the street to a fire station where she scammed the firefighters out of $3 for soda pop over the course of two weeks. April said she sometimes would tell them she put 50 cents in the machine and did not get a soda; other times she would say it was a dollar. After her twin sister ratted her out, her older sister escorted her over to the fire station to apologize to the firefighters for lying to them, and to promise that she would repay them once she could earn the money. Now she is confined to the picnic table for the rest of the summer, all for six cans of Dr Pepper.
Patrick, 13, sneaked out of his bedroom window at 1:30 a.m. to go hang out with some friends in the park and go toilet papering. But his friends never showed. Patrick said he thinks they got scared — but he doesn't know for sure because he is grounded and lost privileges to communication devices.
"So he's grounded for no reason," April teased.
"Never snuck out before, never. This was my first time," Patrick said. He also said it would be his last time.
Their mother, Rita Strang, and three other sisters sat on the front stoop greeting people who drove by and tallying their honks. As of five o'clock Tuesday evening, they had counted more than 300.
"The only thing they can have is a book and water," Strang says. It's been only two days and already the duo are full of complaints. "I had a major headache earlier from all the honking," Patrick said, rubbing his forehead. "I think I'm in prison," April said, with her head tilted up to the sky. "Your brothers wish they were sitting on that table," Strang scolds.
"I have nine kids, my oldest (two) are in prison, and I don't want to see any of the others go in.
"Having them in prison has torn up the family and it breaks everybody's heart," she said, looking around at her children. Strang is determined to keep her other children out of trouble, even if she has to get a little creative.
She says her husband gave her the idea for the punishment, and that she had seen it a year or two ago on the national news. "It's kind of like the scarlet letter principle," she says.
Strang also plans on contacting law enforcement to see how she can get them involved. She says that April really has a lot of respect for Lt. Tim Williams, the Mishawaka D.A.R.E. program supervisor; the mom would like to get him, or another officer, to talk to the kids, or see if St. Joseph County has a "Scared Straight" program.
"Officers may get through to them better than parents," Strang said. But for now they will remain on the front lawn of their Main Street, Mishawaka, home, only allowed to go inside for bathroom breaks, sleep and to get out of the rain.
One thing that Patrick hates more than sitting out in the heat: "Being on the news."
http://www.wsbt.com/news/local/96975149.html
April, 12, and Patrick Kraniak, 13, stand in front of a sign their mother,
Rita Strang, posted in the front of their Mishawaka
home as part of their punishment.
Summer's here! Kids celebrate being out of school, staying up late and enjoying freedom. But not Patrick Kraniak and his younger sister April.
"We have to sit out here for the rest of the summer," the pair explained with heads hanging low.
The Kraniak siblings sit on a picnic table on their front lawn behind a neon poster board. "We're grouned 4 stealing & sneaking out 'HONK' if you agree with grounding" is written on the board. One word to describe what they're feeling: "embarrassed." April, 12, admits that she is the one guilty of stealing. She said that she has stolen several times before, but it was stealing soda from firefighters that caused this punishment.
"I told them I put a dollar in the machine and they gave me a dollar, and I got two pops," she said of her trips across the street to a fire station where she scammed the firefighters out of $3 for soda pop over the course of two weeks. April said she sometimes would tell them she put 50 cents in the machine and did not get a soda; other times she would say it was a dollar. After her twin sister ratted her out, her older sister escorted her over to the fire station to apologize to the firefighters for lying to them, and to promise that she would repay them once she could earn the money. Now she is confined to the picnic table for the rest of the summer, all for six cans of Dr Pepper.
Patrick, 13, sneaked out of his bedroom window at 1:30 a.m. to go hang out with some friends in the park and go toilet papering. But his friends never showed. Patrick said he thinks they got scared — but he doesn't know for sure because he is grounded and lost privileges to communication devices.
"So he's grounded for no reason," April teased.
"Never snuck out before, never. This was my first time," Patrick said. He also said it would be his last time.
Their mother, Rita Strang, and three other sisters sat on the front stoop greeting people who drove by and tallying their honks. As of five o'clock Tuesday evening, they had counted more than 300.
"The only thing they can have is a book and water," Strang says. It's been only two days and already the duo are full of complaints. "I had a major headache earlier from all the honking," Patrick said, rubbing his forehead. "I think I'm in prison," April said, with her head tilted up to the sky. "Your brothers wish they were sitting on that table," Strang scolds.
"I have nine kids, my oldest (two) are in prison, and I don't want to see any of the others go in.
"Having them in prison has torn up the family and it breaks everybody's heart," she said, looking around at her children. Strang is determined to keep her other children out of trouble, even if she has to get a little creative.
She says her husband gave her the idea for the punishment, and that she had seen it a year or two ago on the national news. "It's kind of like the scarlet letter principle," she says.
Strang also plans on contacting law enforcement to see how she can get them involved. She says that April really has a lot of respect for Lt. Tim Williams, the Mishawaka D.A.R.E. program supervisor; the mom would like to get him, or another officer, to talk to the kids, or see if St. Joseph County has a "Scared Straight" program.
"Officers may get through to them better than parents," Strang said. But for now they will remain on the front lawn of their Main Street, Mishawaka, home, only allowed to go inside for bathroom breaks, sleep and to get out of the rain.
One thing that Patrick hates more than sitting out in the heat: "Being on the news."
