Embarrasing your kid to better behavoir at school?

I was sitting on the sun porch and just letting the thoughts fly. Yea, I know it's dangerous. But I got to thinking about a funny entry in a blog I read http://boobsinjuriesanddrpepper.blogspot.com/2007/09/glutton.html Now this story got me thinking about a friend of mine. He once told me a hilarious tale of what parents will do to embarrass their kid. He had gotten into a fight in high school. His step father and mother were required to come in and meet with the administrators. In his all knowing teen self, he didn't think this was a big deal. He was a bad ass. So what if he got in trouble, he had cred, and nothing was gonna take that away. Oh how little boys know. As he was sitting in the office, he saw them coming up the front entrance. His eyes bugged, and he became repentant and willing to accept whatever punishment was to be given, and he swore he would never be a discipline problem again. Why this about face? His stepfather was walking up the entrance in dolphin shorts, a George Clinton shirt that left 4 inches of exposed middle age man gut. His hair was teased out to be a big of an afro as possible. His mother was wearing a similarly embarrassing outfit. The details aren't coming to my mind. As his parents sat down, he slumped in his chair. They proceeded to act as country bumpkin as they could. Throwing all types of wild stereotypes of hill billies as possible, the accent, speech patterns and physical mannerisms. How embarrassing for a 16 year old boy. This was San Diego for chrissakes! Many of the students saw his parents in their get up and he had lost all cred he had built up in those minutes.

Oh it was hilarious. He has a son soon to start kindergarten. With his experience at the hands of his stepfather in mind, he plans to do the same when his son acts up. I wonder if that would work for us. Unfortunately if the administrators remember us, and I'm sure after everything that has gone on they will. We have been appropriately dressed and correct in our conversations. If Stinky was not having the problems with Fred, we might have gotten away with that.

Speaking of Fred. He was at it again yesterday. This time in was on school property. Fred was standing behind Stinky as they were lining up for the bus. Fred hit Stinky's backpack. He said,"Whoops" But again, if this kid really took discipline well, he would not have queued up behind Stinky. Goof says we can't let it affect us like this. We are giving Fred power. I don't want to give him power. I want him to stop. all his actions have been minor, but coming from what we have seen and dealt with this summer, it's escalating. Goof has something in mind. I will leave it up to him, but I'm not certain what it is, or what it will do. The best plan of action is for me to take the opportunities away from Fred. But it is at the cost of Stinky's socialization. I still feel the best case scenario is that Enabler pick up Fred daily from school. The problem is how long would she keep it up? After a while like we have seen she would stop and Fred would revert back to his harassment of Stinky. We are being held hostage by this jerk.