by Ian Loft

Created on: July 13, 2008

As a teen often in trouble it was the last thing in the world to want my parents made aware of my nefarious scheming and activities. I spent some of my earlier teen years following a loose code of conduct that involved a transfer of ownership' believing all was fair so long as I did not get caught yet two occasions stay in my mind to this day some 35 years later that serve illustrate a fundamental difference between parents of my generation as a child and consequences that seem absent today.

At the age of 12 on a hot day with no money, ice creams in a handy freezer of a local shop seemed easy for the taking however several steps outside the door a great hairy hand grabbed me roughly by the shoulder, I was turned around to face an angry Italian shopkeeper. "You gonna' pay for those ice creams boy?" he demanded. "What ice creams?" I retorted thinking this guy was too stupid to know I had several secreted under my shirt. "THOSE ice creams!" he said as he gave a firm blow to mash the now sticky substance across my chest and the evidence soon began dripping down the front of my shorts. I was made to clean out the back store room for a good two hours then sent home with instructions to make sure "you tell your momma now boy and don't let me catch you again!" Stupid as I was for taking them in the first place, I was not THAT stupid my parents would have no doubt punishment me far worse (or so I thought at the time).

A second (and last) occasion I was caught was at our local swimming pool shop where my name and details were recorded as I was unceremoniously booted out of the pool grounds. Promising someone would be dropping by that evening to have a chat with my parents the remaining day was very long and miserable. I knew I was doomed once my father was told but I was not about to hasten the event and so I waited in quite terror for the inevitable.

For the next week I jumped up at every light in the driveway expecting a knock on the door that fortunately for me never eventuated. Thinking back today I could not think of a worse punishment this had me on edge for over a week in fear of the trouble I would be in and it is clear the shop proprietors fully understood this and had no intention of bothering my parents. The punishment was fear of consequences and quite a long time to think things over waiting for the hammer to fall.

Fast-forward to the 21st century and no child can ever do wrong, so it would seem. Very few parents today believe or will even admit the possibility

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