There’s a meme going around Facebook that seems to have tickled a lot of fancies. Not mine.

I probably risk being told that I take things too seriously and that I’m a grump but I find the entire thing nonsensical. A lot of memes are pretty bad but this one struck a nerve. Well, maybe not the meme itself but the apparent wholehearted support it’s getting from various people.

Let’s examine. First off you are lying to your child. Secondly you are causing temporary (see the next point) emotional suffering with this lie. Thirdly the lie is easily penetrated when the child watches the box burn and sees there is nothing inside, thus you are exposing yourself as a cruel liar. Fourthly you are teaching a lesson that it’s fine to destroy things when you don’t get your way. Fifthly it won’t work. Discipline requires consistency, not one showy event.

This is a horrible idea! Terrible. This is the schoolyard bully punching a smaller victim because they can. The fact that so many people seem to think this is a good idea disturbs me.

What is wrong with people?

Rant over.

Tom Liberman
Sword and Sorcery fantasy with a Libertarian Ideology
Current Release: The Gray Horn
Next Release: For the Gray