Q: Do you believe in sending children to military school? Our young teenage daughter has twice snuck out of the house in the middle of the night. We are shocked and hurt by her lack of respect for us and house rules. My husband would have sent her to a military school and still threatens it. We opted for six weeks of grounding with all technology taken away.
A: Actually, I believe in sending all children to military school between ages 13 and 16. Unfortunately, there aren't enough to go around. Kidding aside, your husband overreacted.
Military school is not a rational response to a child sneaking out to be with friends in the middle of the night.
I think this is more of a safety issue than a misbehavior issue.
If your daughter left the house with delinquency in mind, Dad's attitude would be more justifiable. But under the circumstances, he needs to take a deep breath and watch some Marx Brothers movies. Six weeks of grounding and no technology is sufficient.
