Crime and Punishment Kid-Style

Today’s fond memory comes directly from my journal, written in June 1997.

I have included pictures from this time period of all involved.

"Yesterday, I spent an hour helping Darren (8) run away.

 

He and Aubrey (6) had had a fight.                                                                                                                                                                                 

 We decided to hold court right there in the front hall at the scene of the crime.

I,(40), of course, was judge and jury.

I called the defendants over, had them plead their case,
and asked for witnesses.

Devin (10) was the only witness and stated the facts as he saw them.

I then asked Darren for the punishment he thought Aubrey should get, and I
asked Aubrey for the punishment she felt Darren should get.
After they told me, I went and got the New Testament and read Matthew 7:1-3 to
them.

Aubrey had said that Darren should go to his room.

Darren had said that Aubrey should spend 2 days in the sewer.

So after having a discussion on the principle of
"judge as ye shall be judged,”  I told
Darren that he would receive the judgment he imposed on Aubrey and visa versa.

Aubrey then went to her room.

The closest thing we could find to the sewer for
Darren was to have him head up the "Poopy Diaper Squad."

This is when he decided it was best that he run away, which I wouldn't allow him to do until he did his chores.

Devin then decided he better go with him to keep him safe, and so Darren
decided to help Devin clean the shower so that Devin could get his chores done and go
with him.

All in all, it worked out."