My son is unbelievable.  

Your son sounds like my 9 year old nephew. He's been doing things that are not like him at all. My poor sister doesn't know what to do with him either, as punishments aren't working either. I wish you luck, & hope your renter's insurance cover's this....lori

Man, was this something that was totally out of character for him? I don't know what I would do if my 11 year old did something like that. Probably smoke his blue jeans real good.

Only if he did do something like it would be totally out of character, in which case I would try to get to the bottom of it. And I would be real worried, I really would.

I hope you find out real soon why he did it.

I can say your son has got himself in a heep of trouble and I hope is aware of this and just how much trouble is actually is in. This is a seriouse matter and hopefully your renter's insurance can pay for it for if they don't then like you said you will be the one that has to pay out the money. As far as punishment where he's only 8 all you can really do is take away any fun thing he like to do such as play video games, his bike, grounded, make him help you w/ chores, and then what else the citaion is that he is going to get. My son is 9 and I know he almost cost his father and I alot of money cause he was mad at one of his teachers and they had several lap top computer's in the class room for the kids and he was told not to do something several times and if he con't he would have to go to the office. My son got mad and decieded to take a spray bottle of water that they used to water the plants that were in the classroom and start spraying about 3 of the laptop computer's to the point when he got caught he had soaked them where the school didn't know if they would be saveable and his father and I would have to pay for the damages they would get back to us. I will say I was quite mad and I told my son flat out "what were you thinking when you did that? you want to go around destroying other people's property then you can pay for it. I will not tolerate this kind of behavior from you. I will get the money out of your saveings account and only leave a dolloar so the account can keep builing but you will pay for what you have done if they can't save these laptops do you understand me?" he said yes and started to cry. we waited for that week to go by and the call fineally came and they said the computers air dried out and there was no damage to them. I told my son that and he was happy because he got to keep the money in his account. I told him that this was a scare for him and he was lucky but next time he may not be to knock off the foolishness. I would have to say if your son has a saveings account I'd make him take his own money and start paying it off. Let's just hope your situation is like mine and everything turns out ok and your renter's insurance pay's for it. I wish you the best of luck let us know what becomes of it.

what on earth possessed your son to do something that
destructive to your neighbors cars? Is he running with
some older boys who might think that a fun thing to
do?I would make him work to pay off the damages to
those vehickles so that he learns that bad acts have
consequences. I realize he is just eight but thats an
older boys type of malicious mischief.

Man.........I'm going to respond agian after reading all these other posts.

Dicipline them real good, but above all, hug them, kiss them, and love them.

I know you love your children. I have no doubt about that.

What ever you do, don't with hold your affection from them no matter how much you may want to knock a knot on their heads and blister their butts.

Just keep telling them how much you love them.

But make them acountable for their behavior too.

I feel for you ladies with these little fellows that are decorating cars with rocks and watering computers.

I would be totally confused, I'd probably pull his hair out and my own if it was me.

God bless you and your children

hi kfrisk my friend I probably cant say much about that but only tell you how sorry I am about your sons behaviour. With being 8 years old he sure is old enough to know that scratching into cars is wrong and its harming others possessions.
I dont know whether you have access to psychological help in America but that might be the solution, to seek help for your son as somsthing is troubling him.

Oh no Honey! What a horrible situation for you to have to deal with. Was it just a thoughtless act do you think or is there something that is bothering/upsetting him? I do hope your insurance will cover this for you. You will let us know how things go won't you? Thinking of you - you know where I am if you need to rant! Hugs xxx

I think a good punishment would be to take away whatever is important to him for some time. Also i would make him work it off whether the insurance co. pays for it or not. Have him work it off with those neighbors, mow their yard ect. He needs to know that that actions have consequences now or he will only do worse things. Kids will try to push the limit alot, we just have to be there to nip it in the bud.

Who knows what goes on in these kids heads? I would be so upset as you are...He is 8 years old and he should know better..If your son gets an allowance you should withold it for awhile,maybe take his Tv priviledges away?I don't know what to say,but he really needs to be taught a lesson of some kind...this could also make your insurance premium go up as well..Kids get idea;s from other kids...First i would have a good talking with him and find out what motivated him to do such a thing...My Dad use to tell me about my son ,because this would be something he would have done,i have 5 children (all grown now) but my one son would do such things..anyway my dad would tell me to address each thing while he was real young to prevent bigger things when he got older...Whatever you decide to do i hope you get the point across to him that such things can cause him to be jailed with hardened criminals and they might beat him up,maybe that will scare him...I had a policeman come and have a talk with my son, by the time he left my son was in tears and i had no further problems...Good luck ..

OOOH, that would make me so mad at the stinker. He obviously wants to get to the point you do not trust him to do the chores. I tended to make my great niece repeat her wrong behaviors in a controlled environment. She slammed doors at school, I put her outside at the shed slamming the door fifty or a hundred times. I am not sure what he could do similar. Maybe you need to make him polish all of the cars he damaged. Wash and wax them, etc. I would take all of his things, it is comparable to him damaging someone else's stuff.