Punish Me Like Jesus
by Jenners • 11/12/2009 • Life, Writers Workshop • 32 Comments
This week, I’m choosing Prompt 1:
- Describe the best/most creative punishment you have ever given your children or received yourself. (inspired via Twitter by Maya from Musings Of A Marfan Mom)
I’m pretty sure my mother will deny ever inflicting this punishment if she happens to read this post, but I remember it clearly and vividly.
I was about 10 or 11 years old, and it was Easter time. I grew up Catholic so Easter meant A LOT of time in church. We did masses for Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday. I believe this particular year we were also saying the rosary, which seems endless when you are young. And, like any child, going to church was not my favorite thing. I believe I voiced my complaints about what I viewed as excessive holiness and churchgoing. I believe I voiced my complaints loudly, in a whining voice and multiple times. (That seems like me.) My mother got fed up. She decided to punish me by making the whole Easter story come alive for me.
No…she didn’t crucify me on a cross. She did the next best thing. She made me stand in the kitchen with my arms stretched out like I was on a cross. For five minutes. Five endless, painful minutes. Have you ever stood with your arms stretched out for this length of time? Let me tell you, after the first minute or so, it starts to hurt. It starts to hurt really bad.
At the end, I understood a bit better what Jesus went through. To avoid gaining any more understanding, I stopped my complaining about having to go to church real quick.
Wow, Mel Gibson should have brought you in as a consultant for "Passion of the Christ."
Seriously, though, if you're being crucified, you don't have to hold your arms up at all. The nails take care of that. So it's not so bad as what you went through.
Hahaha…excruciating!! But wow, way to make a point Mom!!
Hahaha…excruciating!! But wow, way to make a point Mom!!
I once made my oldest daughter stand with cans of tomatos over her head. She must have done something really bad. And she refused to sit for time outs. (I was much meaner then! Over worked and over tired!)Now, I am a wuss at punishment.
Punishment fitting the crime and all that.
Oy. I have to admit that is pretty creative though. I did that in an exercise class once, and my arms felt like they were on FIRE!
Ouch! Must have been terrible. I can't even imagine making my kids do something like this.
I love it. High five to your mom! ha ha
That so sounds like something my mom would have imposed upon us, and you are right those Rosary services are a killer!
That must have been tough. Kids today probably would be harder to get them to cooperate to do this "punishment". We did listen to our parents more back then. Glad that your arms survived.
Your mom and my mom should get together and take over the federal government. They would get some schtuff done.
Just be happy she didnt nail you to the wall or something! Love her idea though!
at least she didn't lash you.
Your mom is a tough cookie but she knows what works. I'm glad you weren't crucified. You can thank her for me.
Guess it was effective then, glad that's was as close as it got to being crucified.
Visiting from Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop.
Sounds like an old Catholic school punishment…
Ouch!!! I don't think I could have gone longer than a minute, IF that!
Your mom didn't mess around! LOL!
wow–that was a creative punishment. I'm glad you survived.
Glad it was "only" 5 minutes. That's a LONGGGGGGGGGG time. Guess it was effective though.
It does hurt!
When I was in the Navy, I had a few horrible morning I spent doing "sun gods" which means holding your arms out and making small circles. We do them until the sun rose. It was probably like 5 minutes, but it felt like forever.
I'm such a wimp.
Loved your title. I wish I could use some of these things on my kids, but I don't even think they'd go along with them.
Too funny!
Yes it must have been that generation.
All of our parents would be locked up today for "abuse."
Definitely creative! Can you believe some people do that for fun? Apparently it's called exercise…ewww!
Oooh, I like that idea. Very clever.
I would have never thought to do that!
What a creative mother. I, too, dreaded going to church as a child.
Here's a joke for you:
A little boy was having learning problems at school. His parents sent him to a different school. After the first couple of weeks, the boy came home with perfect grades. Every night, he went right to his room to study. His parents were amazed.
They finally asked him, "What happened to make you such a good students?"
The boy answered, "The first day that I went to Math class, I saw a guy nailed up on the wall at the back of the class. I figured they were pretty darned serious about school here."
Good punishment. I have to try that one someday.
My mom told me when I was little the police were going to take me away to jail. Every time the phone rang she would tell me they were on their way. And at one point a heicopter went over and I was certain they were coming for me. She was very convincing.
The next day I took back the tiny item I had stolen from the craft store. (Funny that it was the craft store, huh?). I've never stolen since!
That is a really good idea. Thank your mom for giving me a great idea if I ever have kids!
Glad she didn't hang you up on a cross
And I have done tried that.. you are right after just a minute it is horrible.
Sounds like your mom had a similar punishment list that my parents had…must have been that 'generation'.