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LuciusDickusMaximus Archive

July 17th, 2025

2

/r/Parenting

9 months ago

What is an appropriate punishment for a kid who’s stupidity almost killed a whole family?

My kid seems to lack the part of his frontal cortex that allows her to see how an action might have consequences. She and her friends had a summer school project to make a music video for their film class. They did a „Mario Kart” parody and without me knowing borrowed my Honda for a shot. They didn’t drive it, but their switched out my washer fluid with some black fluid so they film „black ink” being squirted onto the windshield like happens in the game.

She didn’t tell me nor did she remember to switch it back out and I was later driving on the highway and wanted to flash my lights at a car to indicate it could get in front of me. I pulled the wrong lever and black fluid squirted obscured my visibility, and I immediately pulled over into the shoulder. There was a car ahead of me in the shoulder that I didn’t see until almost too late. I came to a screeching halt and very nearly could have smashed into them.

I’m at a loss. All my daughter said was she was „so so sorry.”

How do I make her realize this cannot happen again?

July 17th, 2025

2

Comments:

Parenting-ModTeam

9 months ago

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1

magstar222

9 months ago

Your child in the 4-9 year old age range was able to access your vehicle’s window wiper fluid and switch it out for black fluid, film it being used, then not switch it back without an adult being involved or noticing the aftermath?

94

invictus21083

9 months ago

How would your child have access to and know how to change out the washer fluid in your car if she is age 4-9? Why weren't you supervising?

45

StinkiePete

9 months ago

I’m not disagreeing at all here but there’s YouTube tutorials for everything.

2

HistoricalSherbet784

9 months ago

how was that switch made and not corrected without you realizing it? If the tag is correct for her age she would have an adult for thgis entire process so please clarify

16

littlebean2421

9 months ago

How would they know how to switch your windshield wiper fluid? Why did they have access to your car like that? I would sit down and have a talk. I wouldn’t do a punishment.

9

OkayDay21

9 months ago

I would have lost my shit so badly in that moment it would have driven the point home.

I feel like I might not believe this series of events though. There must have been a prolonged period where her and her friends were unsupervised for this to happen. Your post is flared 4-9 year olds. How would they know how to pop the hood and switch out the fluid? What WAS the fluid that it obstructed your windshield like that? The clear answer is to supervise your kid and her access to the internet.

9

Necessary_Milk_5124

9 months ago

There’s no punishment that will do what you want it to do. Her consequence was almost getting into an accident. You have to tell her to never touch your car or any car again.

5

Technical-Wishbone30

9 months ago

Why is your 4-9 kid even making videos tbh. Should be playing house or something

9

RichardCleveland

9 months ago

She and her friends had a summer school project to make a music video for their film class.

2

its_xaro93

9 months ago

Maybe it's just me but i wouldn't punish my kid for such thing. Sit down, have a serious talk about action, (possible) consequences and thinking ahead.

It may very well have been accidentally by forgetting about it. But you can't prove ill intentions that would justify any punishment.

A serious talk on eye level is almost always better than any sort of punishment

5

Cherrycola250ml

9 months ago

I mean, she actually sounds incredibly creative and smart…. But maybe as a parent you should just educate her and not punish her, what will that actually do?

3

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9 months ago

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1

erichie

9 months ago

I thought this was about a kid in the teens. I didn't realize it was a "4-9 year old'.

How did the parents not see what the kids were doing with the car?

 How did they even change the fluid? How did they know what lever for the hood and to turn the wipers on? They also needed to turn the car on, or battery mode, to get the wipers on.

How in the world does a kid have the access and time to accomplish this?.

This is the parents fault full stop.

3

ShortDelay9880

9 months ago

The start of your post screams adhd, nearly definitionally. Does she have any other signs? Keep in mind that adhd isn't just hyperactivity, and a lot of us, especially afab people, with it don't have external hyperactivity at all. Have you ever had your daughter evaluated?

1

Frequent_Breath8210

9 months ago

Good lord this is terrifying. As a new driver and I have teens myself.. phew. I don’t even have any advice

0