how should i discipline my 8 year old?

[nina85]

what should i do after my 8 year old son lighted up his closet, due to playing with a lighter?

[megochick101]

ground him, make sure he cannot come into contact with a lighter and matches again, maybe take him on a tour of the fire department so he can learn the seriousness involved with fire. Make him clean out his closet and help rebuild it or paint it whatever needs done. Give him extra chores around the house, there are endless possibilities.

[oopsieboo]

when i was younger i found abox of matches, brought it in to school. during lesson i went to the bathroom, lit a match and dropped it. as the match was falling the sheer panic that went through me was indescribable. luckily for me the fall also put the match out so it was just a black stick that hit the flloor.
that thrill and fear of what was going to happen was enough for me. thinking about it now i believe i should have been more scared because i locked myself in a toilet cubicle and the match was between me and the door (if anything happened i really do not know what i would have done)
if he carries on playing with lighters and matches without you knowing then there is a chance he will have a simular experience. or make an experience.
tell a friend that your going to pretend to burn yourself
when your son is in another room, scream as loud as panic like as you can muster, he'll come running. shout at him to get in the car and tell him you had an accident with the cooker and your going to a friend who knows about burns make the scene very panicky but controled, if he starts screaming tell him to be quiet while you drive. go to your friends house and get them to put a bandage on your hand/arm. if its believeable enough it will scare him and he'll realise that it is dangerous and can severely hurt the people he loves, being his mother this will work a charm. and when he's older telll him what you had to do.
or if you don't want to go for the scare tacttic tell all the adults he knows, father parents of his friends teachers and ask them to be 'odd' towards him, if he reports back to you saying "my friends mum didnt say hello to me today" then you say 'it could be because you PLAYED WITH FIRE' and if everyone seems to be upset with him for playing with the fire it will make him paranoid enough to stop.

i dont know if that is the best advice, but thats what i went through and now i help the scouts with their camping and teach them the correct fire safety rules because i know that it can be really scary and dangerous but no matter how scary it was i had been really lucky to have never been burnt.
~X~