A debate is heating up about just how much parents should be held responsible for their kids’ actions. It was the topic of discussion during the What’s The Buzz segment on “Live In The D” Monday.
The conversation included “Live In The D” host Tati Amare, Lauren Crocker and Blaine Fowler from “Blaine and Lauren” on 96.3 WDVD, Orlando Bailey with Outlier Media, and “Live In The D” reporter April Morton.
First, Tati asked the group if the approach of making parents accountable for their actions of the children is teaching responsibility, or if it’s trying to scare parents and kids straight.
April quickly responded that it’s scaring her.
“When I see this on the news, to see that they’re holding parents accountable for things that their kids are doing, it’s terrifying to me because, of course, we teach them right, but we don’t know once we send them out into the world what they’re going to do or what they’re going to be,” said April, a mom of two.
Orlando started his response by stating that he doesn’t have a child, but that he thinks responsibility could come in many forms.
“I think when we talk about responsibility and accountability, our mind automatically goes to punitive measures. We can be held accountable in a restorative way without having to punish. Why do we feel the need to punish so much in this society?” Orlando said.
“You hope they’re doing the right things that you taught in the home, and you hope that they’re going out there with good values and good lessons, but then they get there and you don’t know,” Lauren added.
The group responded to questions about whether parents should be held responsible for a variety of different scenarios. First, they were asked if parents should be the ones wiping down the cafeteria if their child starts a food fight. April, Orlando, and Blaine all said no to this question.
Next, the group was asked if a parent should pay if their child breaks a window. April said the money would come out of their college fund. Blaine responded by saying that he remembers breaking a window and that he had to do chores to pay for it.
The discussion also included whether parents should be held responsible through fines and the age when the blame should be transferred from parents to the kids.
Watch the video above to see the rest of the group’s conversation.