No argument there Joe. The problem is that the boundaries have changed drastically in a short period of time. Our parents lived in the era of shotguns not only being seen brandished on a first date, but also to "encourage" weddings. We grew up in the era of switches, spankings, groundings, and our fathers knocking around a mouthy guy dating a daughter.
Then came the change. This group of kids is used to "timeouts", stern talking to's, and discipline involving taking away a play station or turning off their texting.
I fear for my kids, whenever they're born. I'm not proud of the society they'll be forced into.
Your parents may have lived in an era of shotguns being brandished on a first date and used to encourage weddings. You may have grown up in an era of switches, spankings, groundings, and fathers knocking around mouthy guys dating their daughters. And, yes,
some change did come. In fact, what change came and to what extent it came may just depend on where you live. It's not "the change." Rather, it's
some change. When we encountered to many instances of "good parenting" becoming a justification for violence - whether out of frustration, anger, or what have you - against kids, then
some change became necessary.
If you can't figure out a better way to discipline kids by timeouts, stern talking to's, and the taking away of a Playstation or revoking texting privileges, then you just aren't trying very hard. I promise that there are plenty of ways to discipline kids that don't involve the use of physical force or threats. I've met plenty of good parents who'd never lay a hand on their child.
I can't believe that nobody has come out here and unequivocally told you that what you did was
wrong. Just who do you think you are to threaten somebody else with a knife? I don't even care if you were "joking." You pulled a knife on another person and it wasn't even to protect yourself or another person from violence. Nothing seriously bad was actually going to happen to your new lil' sis in that car. This guy, regardless what you think of his character or how he should man up or whatever, has obviously been seriously affected by what you've done. What would you think if another man pulled a knife on you? I bet your reaction doesn't include "Ah, I get it. Your being that really great big brother character. Good for you." Nope. Instead that kid probably thought "Holy shit! This guy is coming at me with a knife."
You owe this kid an apology, a big one. You shouldn't do shit like that. It was nonsensical, completely lacking in creativity for how to get a message across, and violent.