Mom Left Furious Over School's Decision To Send Daughter To Detention For Belching

Jan 06, 2023 by apost team

Children in school are disciplined for all sorts of things. Talking back in class, chewing gum, or having a cellphone out during a test are all offenses that may land a kid somewhat expectedly in detention. 

While different schools may have different rules regarding dress codes and rules of conduct, parents can kind of reliably predict which of their children may land themselves in the hot seat and be stuck writing an apology to the offended party.

However, occasionally students break rules that no parent nor peer can understand or support. They may wear something that is undeniably not provocative and not be made to "cover up." Or they may have stuck up for themselves or their beliefs instead and not "mouthed off" as was reported.

In these instances, mom and dad might find themselves in the uncomfortable and odd position of having to defend their kid against an angry teacher or even their school. Then it's no longer adults versus children who almost always have to obey, but rather adults versus adults and the power dynamic is a little more even. 

One unlucky mother, on the popular parenting blog Mumsnet, posted in April 2017 about one such incident with her daughter. According to the post, the child had come home unexpectedly late with the strangest explanation for their tardiness. The daughter had broken a rule and was made to stay late, but the offense itself sent a very confused, so a concerned mom to the message boards, asking fellow Mumsnet users for advice and guidance. 

She wrote, "Today my eldest (daughter) year 9 came home later from school than she usually would and when she got in I asked her why and she told me she had been at a 20 minute after school detention." The story so far sounds like one typical of teenagers. However, the original poster (OP) then revealed the truly shocking reason why her daughter was kept late.

OP revealed that her detention was "for burping in PE while playing netball in the gym." The offense seems disproportionate to the reaction, but perhaps there's more to the story. OP continued, saying her daughter "was upset as she got sent out of the lesson and made to change back into her uniform for the rest of the lesson and copy from a textbook." The punishment that was dolled out seemed more tedious than anything, but still, the fact remains that it all seems rather out of proportion with simply burping.

Unsure how to reassure her child, OP relayed, "I didn't know what to say to her to be honest she seems fine now she has calmed down." She then questioned the school's ability to reprimand her daughter in this way for this reason. She wrote, "It sounds silly to me and ridiculous can a teacher do this?"

Commenters immediately questioned the validity of the daughter's story, wondering whether the mom got all the details. OP clarified, saying her daughter "didn't say alot to me." She admitted, "I am a bit worried the teacher will stop selecting her (to play during sports games) maybe?"

While a valid concern, the question remained in the minds of the readers about whether or not there's more to the story. If that's true, "I burped" is either an insane or an ingenious excuse.

apost.com

What was the strangest thing you or your child got in trouble for in school? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends, family, as well as any other Mumsnet fans!