Veronica and Travis

The picture on the banner of my blog above was taken in Segovia, Spain. The man is one of the many different pieces children can ride on while they enjoy one of the most creative carousals I have ever seen.
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This caught my eye today. A mother of a teenager who was suspended from school because of rough housing with a teacher that got out of hand had a unique punishment for him. On a busy stretch of road the teenager was made to wear a sign that said, "I have made a bad choice in school now I'm living with it." He also had to pick up trash.

A couple of thoughts. One, I wonder where the teacher is in all of this. Number one rule in working with teenage boys, don't rough house with them if you aren't prepared for it to get out of hand. This is assuming of course that the teacher was kind of messing around with him as guys often do.

Two, a lot of people might champion this kind of punishment as a return to discipline and more parental control. However I watched the on site news report where both Travis and his mother Veronica were on the street, and it's clear this wasn't about a mother "bringing harsh discipline" back into vogue. It's all about a mother who knows her child, loves her child, and applied a punishment that would be instructive and in balance with the mistake that Travis made.

The big kicker is that despite Travis' embarrassment and loathing of every minute he was on the road picking up trash WITH his mom, he felt loved. The mom also knew when to call it quits. When it was evident he had gotten the message she called it off, told him she loved him, and gave him a big hugged. That is how you work with a teenager, you know them, set boundaries and hold them to it, and use measured discipline and unrestrained love at the same time. Bravo Veronica and congratulations Travis on taking one step closer to becoming a good man.

CNN Video report