Beware phone operators...They'll call the law on you.

Have you heard anything from them?

Bastards.

 

Well, first off, I have to say that I don't think that any physical punishment or reprimanding (even just a spanking) should be used against any child.

But, I think that is more of a lifestyle choice. I am not saying that I think you are wrong necessarily, just that we have different parenting philosophies.

But in terms of your situation. . . If the spanking is as innocent as you say, you definitely have nothing to worry about. If there isn't a mark on the kid, surely the police will understand that it was just a little spanking.

After all, don't HISD schools still offer a form you can fill out if you want the teacher to spank or rap your kids knuckles or whatever? or am I dated on that??

Well, best of luck. Hopefully, it will pass over with nothing more than an idle threat. Whether or not the police give you anything or not (if she really did call), I would imagine it won't be a pleasant visit, as police visits rarely are.

 

Operators need to mind their own flippin' business!!

 

There are busybodies everywhere and lots of folks think they are better parents than you. Once, when my first child was about 9 months, we were eating out at at a restaurant... a rare treat for us at the time. The dinner's done and I get up to go to the restroom. While I'm gone, my kid starts to cough so my wife stes her up and holds her so she can clear whatever it is that's bothering her. She is not choking and breathing fine between coughs. A lady in the booth next to us leaps up and yells at my wife "That baby's choking! Do something!" and literally tries to rip the kid out of my wife's hands... ostensibly to save our child. About this time I come back and have no idea what is going on but I see the lady retreat to her booth while the whole place is looking at us. I ask my wife if everything's OK and she nods and goes out to the car. (By this time, everything is OK with my daughter.) I pay and leave and get the whole story from my wife in the car. I remember I wanted to go back in and confront the lady, as I got no chance to defend my family,but my wife talked me out of it. Probably for the best as the lady had a bit of a crazed look in her eyes.

There have also been other times when we're out in public and our kid knows she can push the limits. It's difficult, but sometimes you have to draw the line in front of strangers, thus getting all kinds of nasty looks.

Anyway, write down what happened and then don't worry about it. Good luck.

 

Sounds to me like this is just a bad situation of the wrong place and the wrong time. You shouldn't have to answer to anyone for what you did. It all sounded harmless and in the best interest of the child. But if you think about it from the phone operator's perspective, she hears loud screaming and then a very loud pop followed by a child crying. She has no idea if it is a terrible beating or just a concerned parent doling out a little discipline. So to be safe she decides to call CPS. If they really do check up on you, it will suck that you will likely have to go through a lot of crap just to be clear of it, but I can't blame the phone operator for being concerned.

 

Unbelievable.....
Im sure nothing will come of it, that phone operater probably just hates her life and wants to bring down others.

Calling CPS on a family should only happen when you know their situation, so there is not any misunderstandings.

 

You guys are assuming the worst... put in the best light, maybe she's just trying to be "safe rather than sorry."

Good luck, and I hope it gets smoothed over easily...

 

This reminds me of the time I called the child abuse hotline on my parents and my mom answered. She said "What?!?!?!? You just wait till I get home. I'll show you child abuse."

 

<b>roxran</b>: Sorry for your worries, but I do imagine they will be fleeting. I spanked my daughter for the first time in months last night. I hated to do it, but she can be stubborn and disobedient to the Nth degree. I'll be glad when she (they) grow out of this.

Oh yeah, I have another one just turned one... waiting for those Terrible Twos.

 

You go on being the good daddy that you are. Don't let others intimidate you parenting decisions. What you did was not abuse. The operator may be required by law to report this if she identifies this. At the same time, she may not believe in spankings and may be trying to impart her views on you by using her position to intimidate you. You might want to find out the phone company's policy. If this is not their policy and she did that just to threaten you, file a complaint on this lady if the phone company can track her down.

My son received a swat on Sunday after a few months of not having one. After he got it, I asked if he knew why he got it. He said "because I didn't listen to you Daddy." On Monday, he didn't have any problems doing what i asked him to do. He even came up and told me, after I asked him to put his cup in the sink, "I listen to you Daddy"

Anytime I have to spank my son (fewer and fewer times), we always sit down and talk about it afterwards. I always explain why he got it and I tell him that I love him no matter what.

 

Agreed.

 

And that's exactly how it should be done Falcons. Kids won't get spanking if you do it recklessly and without explanation. I knew why I was getting the belt every time I got it, and I knew not to do those things in the future. Or at least get caught.

 

I'd be willing to bet this operator doesn't even have children. While I appreciate her concern for your children, she needs to realize 99% of all parents have more concern for their own children than some stranger.

As a child I was beaten, and I mean bad. But even I realize there is a huge difference between a spanking and a beating. My 2.5 year old girl has yet to receive a spanking and has only recently started needing some time out. What ever type of punishment you have to administer is best done with a heavy dose of reasoning even at a very young age. I don't just send her to time out, I set her down, we discuss why she is in trouble, I tell her I love her and set the punishment timer then let her sit and think about what she has done. She has yet to have to sit over 30 seconds, but the whole process takes a couple minuets and so far has had good results. I'm sure eventually either her or her little brother (8 months old today) will have to have a swat or two, but it will be as a last resort as it should be.

Hope you don't have to defend your parenting to people who don't know you or the situation.

I hope all of you continue to be the best parents you can be and make the right decisions for you and your kids.

Falcons Talon - Thats exactly how it should be done.

 

I used to have a suck-hole summer job as an operator. I don't know if she can call you in, anyway. Not that it's her business. Maybe she's been around abuse and has a knee-jerk reaction whenever she senses it.

F**k it, dude. If you get contacted, worry about it then. And then, you'll be exonerated anyway. Just because an authority is called doesn't mean anything will come of it, especially when you're innocent.

I had a nightmare roommate once. On the last day of the lease, when tenants were supposed to clean out the apartments, he didn't show up to help---thank God, because he wasn't gonna move his stuff, and would have created real problems for me. So I put all his stuff out on the balcony while he was out (and he had a lot of ****). Well, when he came back and found what I'd done, he called the cops on me. I think he tried to stick me with theft. The cops laughed at him and left.

Don't sweat it. But I understand your anger.

 

Just take it like a piece of criticism. Listen to it and then you can choose to change or stay the same. It's up to you. but it never hurts to listen to someone else's opinion. You can always toss it in the rubbish.

If it goes any further, what's going to happen. Seriously. There's no pattern for abuse and that's what they would be looking for.

 

Screw that busy body !!

It is your family and you do whatever you have to do to raise your kids to be good upstanding citizens.

As a father of a 4 year old and a 14 day old, I can empathize with you.

Good for you DAD !!

DaDakota

 

You know she doesn't. No parent would react that way.

I have a son who will be 3 in a couple of weeks. In 3 years I can honestly say I have had to hit him once and that was bc he did not listen and what he was doing was going to put his life in danger (running into the street. He BY NO MEANS has been an angel for that 3 years, but luckily I have a son that resopnds to reasoning. When I explain why he should not do something he oblages.

That is not to say I think poorly of anyone who spanks their children. The people that I have an issue with is people that take everything out on their children (spanking bc they had a bad day and the child is not being an angel), or people who spank as a first resort without telling a child what to do first.

In your situation, I would not let it effect you, what you do, or how you raise your child. Every parent has their own way to bring their children up and that is why you should not feel bad or change anything. You are an adult and I assume you know right from wrong. You would know in your heart if you did anything wrong and you would have to live with yourself if you were out of line.

That does not sound like the case here and as a matter of fact, it seems to me that everything else that was going on is what is affecting you more than what you did.... cooking, danger, people on the phone, kids not listening after being told, a wife telling you what to do and what not to do (saying "I told you not to scream at the kids"), and that made it worse. I would not be shocked if the wife possibly making the operator story up to make a point.

In closing I will say this, knowing what its like to be a parent and knowing how all you want is what is best for your children, when a child does not listen and you are driven to have to spank them (though I thought it was BS when my parents said it to me) IT TRULY DOES HURT US (as parents) MORE ONCE WE HAVE HIT THE CHILD BC WE DO LOVE AND CARE FOR THEM SO MUCH.

Hang in there Randy and do not let this affect you or the way you raise your children.

Good luck, and do not worry about this incident.