Get the ball, boy!

Wow! I don't think anyone could have said it better. You would be a great role model for kids. :)

18 i love you

The irony in this is that I personally can't stand children, teenagers, or people in my own age group. I just like to observe and give logical advice.

*applauds*

The only thing the kid will take from being out in timeout for touching themselves is not being so obvious about it. Nothing op said indicated the child would even conceivably be traumatized from the experience. If the kid stops doing it in public, it's a normal response. But I'd be concerned if it's frequent and almost obsessive.

So when 12 year olds' hormones kick in and they start having sex we shouldn't punish them because it's only "natural"? The kid shouldn't be punished for the whole exploring but, but should be for doing it in public. This whole "we can't punish kids for anything at any age or it'll psychologically screw them up" mentality is why kids run amok nowadays. If a kid does something they shouldn't be doing for whatever reason, they should be punished. Otherwise they'll end up like that 6 year old that just got arrested for "having a bad day (according to the mom)" when she went ballistic at school and started hurting kids, faculty, and destroying things.

159, if the behavior continues then sure, give the kid a time out, but on the first offense, the adults need to explain why they shouldn't do that in public and then they likely won't do it again. Just like you explain to a 12 year old that sex has consequences so they need to be careful and emotionally and financially ready for that sort of thing before they do it. If you just revert to punishment then kids will be resentful towards you or unhealthily ashamed of themselves. When dealing with sexual things you need to be especially careful, because punishment for that can lead to a lot of sexual guilt later in life and unhealthy relationships, or a resentful person who wants to have sex all the time just to spite their parents.

178 - Who said this was the first time?

You should give a warning first for most things, but even if OP didn't (we don't know if she'd given him a warning before), it's better to over-punish than not punish at all. You punish and explain why what they did was wrong so they associate the punishment with the wrong behavior. It's not going to screw a kid up unless you tell them it's a dirty thing or something.

Whether going on the basis that op did say it was wrong doesn't change the fact that timeout wouldn't have any emotional impact beyond the timeout unless of course you forced the kid to sit there for an hour. Honestly, are any of you even remotely traumatized for being lightly punished? I don't even remember any specific timeout incident I had because once it was up, I didn't care about it anymore and went on to play or do whatever was going on at the time. There's no need for gross overreaction.

I got spanked as a kid and threatened with a belt and I'm GRATEFUL for my parents doing that. I'm not "emotionally scarred" in the least and I didn't run amok like the heathens today.

I really wish you would have spelt come correctly considering the FML

i think it was intentional :)

@62 thats the point like 64 said just read it over a couple of times your simplistic mind will figure it out sooner or later

#62 you are an idiot.

I will stand erect and beat my meaty hands for you zingline, that was a good one. Took some serious balls to spew the gunk you said. I don't mean to stroke your ego but good job. You are a true wiener.

...it's completely natural to explore your self, even if they don't know, they should just be told what it is and not try to do it in public.

You touched your friends wiener?

That probably would have been me

So when kids are young masterbating gives them the same pleasure as playing with their hair? Thats interesting

I love how people keep citing Freud as though his theories are valid. XD

You're just looking at the sex related ones

I was reading the new FMLs and most of them were about it...

Pretty much!!