Parental Threats

My mom has always used if you don't study well, I'll get you married threats. Back during our childhood days we were subjected to 'n' number of threats like these. Somewhere I read these threats are counterproductive on children so refrained from using them at home. Let me see how far it goes.

 

I went through a phase when I was actually hoping that my parents would go through with their threats and find me a nice rich guy ! I soon realized they were empty threats , I had to study , work and find my own guy !

 

Hahaha nice memories! Ya most of the parents used to threaten the kids ! I remember my dad telling if you get good marks I will buy more dresses! As I was mad of dresses since childhood . When I was in 10th my dad was like the number of subjects which are crossed above 85% equals to the number of dresses! Funny

 

Dear satchi,

In our house there were no threats, only actions, the likes of it which could be seen only in James Bond movies.Flying saucers, pans, brooms etc were all instruments targeted at me with anger, but I cleverly learnt to evade them. When marriage was fixed- no questions asked,only had to extend my neck for the groom to tie the thali.
When I brought up my daughter, I issued no threats and gave her all the liberty to do things she wanted. Today she is a successful career woman, capable of making her own choices and living her life at her own pace.

Agatha83

 

Parents use marriage as a threat and it is really a threat to many . I agree with you that boarding school can be fun. nobody knows how to get children do well . very difficult job is to bring up kids and finish responsibilities.

 

Haha ! Those kind of threats are eternal , passed on from generation to generation !
And now with exam season , we dont know what newer threats are in fashion !

But children are always one up on parents .
When my nephew was a little boy , his mother would give the common scolding : “ if you dont pass in the exam , you will be only fit to graze cattle” .
And the innocent boy saw that as an option “ Good. Buy me some cows , mother. I will have a dairy farm and supply milk to all in the city and earn lot of money “.

 

I have been doing same as you with my kids. No physical / emotional threats to them. I know their strengths, weaknesses and I support them at any cost. I love them how they are !

 

satchi..even today i use this phrase for my daughter..but instead of cows i say donkeys. But after reading your snippet..i shall completely stop it..who knows when DD would ask for the donkeys??

 

Parental threats are bluffs! Pfft! I eagerly awaited on one such shallow threat from my parents to be casted out to a boarding school at age six. If you don't behave well, we will ship you to a boarding school. Continued in the seventh and eighth year also. And, I used to look forward every year with my trunks packed. I lost faith in their well-intended threats.

Reminds me of this inventive Mom who threatened to reverse pilgrim her troublesome nippers. I am sure that another similarly disheartened kid, hauling her duffel bag of wet wipes and a brolly, and an indignant turkey in stow are eager to jump onto that schooner and be reverse pilgrim-ed. But Mommie never called that boat!