What would you do if your children cherry-bomb your favourite birdbath?

[Yasmine ZM]

If these were my children and they had destroyed my birthday gift, I would be upset for a while for sure. Then, I would get them to earn and save money to buy it back. And of course, a good conversation about fire safety. Although at that time, the cherry bombs were probably allowed by their parents, the houses had more outdoor space and people were not really aware of the dangers. Different times, that is.

[Zainab Wasif]

I would give them a piece of my mind, in the first instance. Cut a percentage from their allowance as punishment. I would be worried from the safety perspective. Playing with fire, weapons, explosives and other sharp objects is a safety threat. Kids want to experience everything new and different not foreseeing the disasters it can cause. I would educate them on the dangers of all these unsafe things and ban them from my home. Nothing can be done about the property damage.

[Helen Akoth]

I would obviously react to it and be evidently upset. On the other hand, I'll take this opportunity to teach my children about the dangers of using weapons. I won't give them severe punishment at first but will let them know that if it it happens again in the future, there will be consequences.

[Ruka NK]

That was a different time for sure. I would be having more conversations about fire safety and those boys would not have any unsupervised time for quite a while until they can be trusted more.

yes, i think i would do that too. If i child does something that could hinder their safety, its better to explain. so they know that you arent trying to control their life but your trying to keep them safe. i think i would make the child feel more confortable and trust you more.

[Nqobile Mashinini Tshabalala]

Firstly, those cherry bombs were quite dangerous so I'm glad they were banned. Secondly, a long lesson on the importance of valuing other people's treasured items would have followed. I would have also liked it if they could replace it but I suppose that would be extreme parenting.

[FunkyFlowerLady]

Undoubtedly, that was a different era. The boys wouldn't have any unsupervised time until they could be trusted more, and I would be talking to them more about fire safety.

[Joyjim]

Children need to learn to be responsible and respect other people's properties. So I'll definitely impose a limitation on them if that occurs.

[Sam Ibeh]

Thing is, I'll have to put my children's safety first. While I have conversations with them on the dangers of throwing a cherry bomb, I'll rid my house of things that could lure them to unsafe plays.

[Sam Ibeh]

I argue throwing an eraser and using cherry bombs are very different. Simple curiosity and an accidental throw is not the same as blowing things up!

That was a different time for sure. I would be having more conversations about fire safety and those boys would not have any unsupervised time for quite a while until they can be trusted more.

I agree. The episode called up my memory when my dad came from a business trip and brought me a present - a huge rubber - one of those for rubbing off pencil marks on drawings (and walls ). It was huge, the size of a piece of soap. Different times of course, more than four decades ago. Good rubbers were soft, and the way we were testing rubbers for softness was by bending them. So I bent it, and at that moment I stood behind my mum who was obstructing the view of my dad. I raised my hand to show my dad how soft the rubber was, lost the grip of the tensely bent rubber, and it catapulted from my hand and hit my mum full on, on the back of her head. Mum had a mixed - but stoic! - reaction, that left my dad and me laughing to tears (I still do as I recall this moment!), and then mum did confiscate my rubber, and told my dad and me that she was going to evict us to live in a desert - safe for her and everyone!

I agree with you. Those two scenarios differ and requires different approaches, especially when the kids' safety is on the line.

[Sam Ibeh]

Children need to learn to be responsible and respect other people's properties. So I'll definitely impose a limitation on them if that occurs.

That's a measure to take. In addition, I'll have a conversation with them around safety and safe ways to play.

[Rodel Barnachea]

As someone who does not have that much patience, I probably would have exploded at my children and screamed at them. However, I know myself that that is not particularly good parenting and that I must apologize and properly communicate to my children how their actions affected me and why I reacted that way. Similarly, I also would have banned cherry bombs.

[Alice Fu]

If I was their parents, my reaction would have been far more drastic. I would have them lectured heavily for safety and for destroying property. I also would have had them do extra work to earn back money for the birdbath

[Justin Christensen]

I like to say I would have some good response like having them work to fix it or earn funds to help replace it, etc, but the harsh truth is I'd probably start off by being pretty dang angry. So I think I'd have to take a walk to cool down, and then maybe we'd cherry bomb it another couple of times since it's already busted at that point before moving on to the fixing it bit.

[Shanesha Sammerson]

I definitely would have resorted to corporal punishment if my children cherry-bombed my birdbath and they would have been on a ban from using any type of devices along with watching a documentary on the negative effects of bombing.

[Samantha Barnes 3]

I would like to think that I would handle the situation with the same grace and maturity that Mark's mother did, but I have a sinking feeling that I would be freaking out more than I should. I would probably not have the slightest clue how to go about that situation.