"If your mother doesn't teach you manners, the world will." My friend from Kenya told me it's an old proverb where he's from.
this post was submitted on 25 Apr 2025
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If my kid did that, I'd let you splash them again.
Seriously my first thought if I saw this all occurring and my kid came complaining to me about it is I'd just say "well this is how the cat feels"
Truly cannot conceive of any other appropriate response. My kid's an asshole sometimes, better he get gentle lessons now.
As a parent, if my kid did that, I'd likely side with the neighbour. I would put it (very loosely) in the category of "natural consequence" punishments.
It fits the crime, it discourages the crime, it forces empathy with the cat, and it does no real harm.
This is my favorite answer. I'd argue that he got less than the natural consequences of his actions. In nature, when one assaults another, even with something as harmless as water, it's usually reasonable to interpret it as a threat, the response to which is usually violence. That kid is lucky he didn't get a face full of claws. I've gotten a lot worse from gently touching cats that, as it turned out, didn't want to be touched. Boundaries are important.
Natural consequences doesn't mean "law of the jungle" here. It just means linking cause and effect in a proportionate manner.
I tend to use a lot of "natural consequence parenting". Basically, the response should flow from the cause. If you throw water over your friend, you can't then complain if they throw water over you. You learn that, while it's fun when expected, it can be deeply unpleasant when unexpected.
It's a lot more effective than random generic punishments. The trick is shielding them from excessive results, while allowing proportional ones to play out. E.g. swinging on a chair will get a warning, but often not stopped. When they fall, there's an "I told you so" before/with the cuddle. If there is a risk of a more serious injury however, e.g. the corner of a table where their head may hit, then I step in and stop things.
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My neighbors daughter had one of those water guns. I told her if she shoots at me, I'll get the hose and retaliate. She grinned, shot at me, and ran away laughing.
I talked to her dad, he nodded, and when she came back for more mischief, she got wet.
Time to splash the father
My head hurts from reading that. Comma and periods, people. Comma and periods.
This is what big comma and periods want you to believe. Don't be a fool!
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If it was funny to do it to the Cat.... It was hilarious doing it to the kid.
Can confirm.
I have a robot that clears snow on my driveway (it’s a diy build,). One winter, we were having problems with a couple teenage boys chucking snowballs at cars.
Their dads conspired to teach them a lesson.
They recruited me and S5-SY (the robot, pronounced “Sassy”,).
So they played some mind games to get the kids to think it was their idea to record themselves-live- chucking snowballs at the “defenseless” robot.
In the video, the robot turned to face them, drove itself into the snow bank and turned on its sweeper to give them the worst white wash of their lives.
I'm sorry, you can't just say "I built a robot that clears snow", like it's no big deal! Do you have more details? Also, please link the video of it blizzarding the teens!
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I’ll take things that never happened for 200$
I like to imagine she had the basin of water handy in that moment.
Yes, no 10 year-old ever threw water at a cat.
Dollars two hundred.
If my neighbor did ANYTHING to my pets, they'd be lucky to only get sprayed with water.
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