Those were the words my daughter muttered on her way to bed -- at 11:00!!! (That's our little darling, my little firecracker! Isn't she beautiful! She is 8 in this picture, taken last fall. Picture #2 is our handsome young man, 15)
She had kept putting off doing an assignment all week that is due tomorrow, therefore the late night. And while I was trying to help her AND do her hair at the same time I got a little bit of attitude. The attitude didn't improve after a warning, but got worse, therefore the grounding. Now that the hair is done, the assignment complete and in the backpack, and frayed nerves have been smoothed somewhat, regret has set in. Suddenly someone remembers what she's going to be missing out on tomorrow evening if she is grounded. And now she wishes the word had never been invented.
I don't ever remember being grounded when I was a kid. I can remember being spanked, made to stand in the corner, or denied some treat, but I don't think my parents were ever aware of the term "grounded". I was born in 1966, the youngest of seven children, to parents in their forties. I honestly don't think "grounded" was in their vocabulary. And if I had ever been grounded, what would I have been grounded from? Reading? That's all I ever did. We didn't have video games back then. No computer. We lived out in the country, so it wasn't as if neighborhood kids would be knocking on the door to see if we could come out to play. I guess in my teens I could have been grounded off the phone. Come to think of it that would have been really bad! Or denied going to a friend's house, having a friend over, or using the car. Yes, I guess there were a few things I could have been grounded from. But I never was. I was a good girl. No drinking, smoking, partying, running around, breaking curfews or sneaking out! Wow, I must have been boring. I don't think being boring has scarred me, however!
These kids of ours have so many things we didn't have, and so many opportunities that weren't open to us, that I actually feel guilty when I DO have to take something away from them. And I really shouldn't because it isn't going to hurt them in the long run. It is going to make them more appreciative of the things they have. Yeah, that's right. So, here's to the person who "invented" the word "grounded"! All hail!! Long live groundings!
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