punishments

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What punishments did you get for things you did not do? Who accused you of doing what?

What punishments did you get for things you did, but you think they punishment was out of proportion?

What were the worst punishments you have gotten?

I was considered 'gifted' and as a result I was actively discouraged by certain teachers and adults from mixing with other kids and doing the things that other kids did. When, as a group of kids, we were caught doing typical bad or naughty things that kids do, I would get singled out in front of the other kids and told 'I'm surprised at you!'

That was the punishment that hurt the most - basically being told that as a 'gifted' child I had no right to a normal childhood.

When I was in 4th grade, there was a demonstration day at which parents and I suppose some sort of officials or dignitaries were invited to watch the lessons. At one point, some of us were asked to form a small group and then the teacher presented a new, supposedly innovative approach to teaching addition of larger numbers that require partial sums. After some time, I spoke up and said that I thought the new approach was confusing the other pupils (who were supposedly too dense to grasp the "traditional" approach). The teacher immediately marched me off to the Vice Principal's office, where I was suspended for 2 weeks for "teaching the teacher how to teach". Later on, I learned that suspension is typically a very serious disciplinary measure used against pupils who do things like setting off a cherry bomb in the Boy's Room.

Some notes: In American schools, the Vice Principal is typically the school official responsible for discipline. Also this was one of the relatively few schools that are a combination elementary and junior high, so perhaps the sort of disciplinary issues faced by the VP tended to be more serious than what might be expected in most elementary schools.

never at school, hmm, later on in a non-school event, that was largely overreacting, and no one checked the veracity of things so that eventually was marked as something it wasn't

the parents and also the perception of punishment, forever the food--
and one got put on things that felt like more punishment, i was rotten in physical ed, everytime it ended in crying and dear mother put me on more gymnastics, the dread

they eventually chose facade over me, and threw me on the streets

Well punishment is an alien concept to me. I haven't experienced it much as a child and I have not punished my children for anything. Maybe I'm a bad parent, but I just never saw the need of it.

Some of my teachers didn't like me but other than scolding I didn't get any extra work or anything. Now if we're talking about life in general, my mom would be the biggest punishment given to me. She's never satisfied with me. Luckily my self esteem is independent and not built on her opinions.

Damn that sounds absolutely awful I am sorry you had to experience that, cause like it sounds messed up.

It was. And I was by no means alone. If anything it's got worse over the years, as education and parenting have become more intense and more competitive, and more kids are labelled 'gifted'.

When people gush about 'child prodigies' and 'geniuses' I think of Adam Dent, Andrew Halliburton, Sufiah Yusof among others.

Not all 'gifted' kids are autistic, of course. It's going to be worse for the kind of autistic kid who has trouble making friends in the first place. But it's going to damage any kid.