Tuesday, January 4, 2005

A Modern Guide to Parenting

1. "Kids naughty, so dad sells their gifts on eBay"
   <http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/1223ebay-grinch23-ON.html>
"There's not much laughter today at the home of a Pasadena information
 technology specialist who has decided to auction off his kids' Christmas
 presents - and possibly dismantle the family tree - because the young-
 sters, ages 9, 11 and 15, have been naughty, not nice"

2. "Father shames his 'tearaway' kids on the internet"
   <http://www.thisiswiltshire.co.uk/wiltshire/archive/2003/01/10/
       malms_news_local20ZM.html>
"He says that, because he loves his children so much, he has taken the
 desperate step of publicly humiliating them on the local community
 website in a bid to save them from spiralling into trouble"

3. "Parents go on strike, move out to protest messy kids"  [expired link]
   <http://www.wsoctv.com/news/3980478/detail.html>
"Cat and Harlan Barnard say their 17-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter
 haven't been helping out around the house, and the dishes, garbage and
 dirty laundry have been piling up. So they have lived in a tent in their
 front yard since Monday morning and have only gone in the house to use
 the restroom or shower"
   "'Striking' parents vow to continue protest"
   <http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1264762.htm>
"A couple from the US state of Florida has marked one week on strike in
 front of their home and vowed not to end the protest camp-out until their
 kids start doing their fair share of the household chores"

4. "Protective father 'shocks daughter's boyfriend'"
   <http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_812850.html>
"An over-protective father in Germany has allegedly warned off his step-
 daughter's new boyfriend with an electro-shocker"

5. "Kenyan stepmother made boy sleep in chicken coop"
   <http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L13370371.htm>
"Kenyan police said on Thursday they had rescued an 18-year-old boy who
 was forced by his stepmother to sleep in a chicken coop for the past 10
 years"

6. "Central Florida parents who chained wild teens avoid prosecution"
   <http://www.marconews.com/03/07/florida/d949784a.htm>
"A woman and ex-husband accused of chaining her teenage sons to their
 beds in an effort to control their criminal behavior avoided prosecution
 by agreeing to an 18-month intervention program"

7. "Toddlers eat 'horrifying' diet"
   <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3582259.stm>
"Nine out of 10 toddlers are allowed to eat junk food"


I'm not sure whether Dr Spock would approve ...
   <http://www.drspock.com/about/drbenjaminspock/0,1781,,00.html>