How To Discipline

Characters
ALLIE, a young girl in her first year of high school
BOB, Allies father who is a very stern business man
LINDA, Allies mother who is very free with how to raise Allie

Setting: Bob and Linda are sitting up in the living room waiting for Allie to get home. It is after curfew and they are getting worried. Bob is getting mad and Linda is sitting there reading a yoga book.

BOB
(angry) Where is that girl? She should have been home by now. I knew we shouldn’t have let her go out.

LINDA
(nonchalant) Oh, stop worrying. She will be home soon.

BOB
Would you start worrying?

LINDA
There is no reason to.

BOB
Our daughter is out and we have no way of knowing if she is hurt or something!

LINDA
Well, maybe you should have gotten her that cell phone she wanted. Then we would be able to get a hold of her.

BOB
We are not getting her that phone and that’s final!

(Allie quietly sneaks into the front door)

BOB
Where have you been young lady? We have been worried sick.

ALLIE
(Apathetic) Sorry dad. We just lost track of time at the mall.

BOB
How do you loose track of time there? They close at ten. It is now thirty minutes after. They would have kicked you out!

ALLIE
Oh, well they did, and then there was traffic.

BOB
The mall is only five minuets from here! There would not be that much traffic this late!

ALLIE
(stuttering) Well…we…um… there was a train! That’s why we were late.

BOB
I never heard one.

ALLIE
Maybe you just weren’t listening.

BOB
Did you get anything to eat yet?

ALLIE
Yeah, Jacob bought me a burger at McReynalds.

LINDA
Oh! I love that place. We never go there anymore though. It’s all the way across town. We just never have the time.

BOB
Yeah, so what were you doing way over their Allie? Your little ‘girlfriend’ Jacob just decides to walk all the way over there from the mall? Is that why you’re late?

ALLIE
Um…um…yeah… We took the bus… It was running late…and then there was that darn train.

BOB
(Yelling) Allie! You are grounded! No more going out for you. I saw you at McReynalds. I saw that boy hanging all over you. Don’t you lie to me! Now tell me the truth!

LINDA
Oh Bob, stop that. Let her be. She is a young woman. She can make her on mistakes.

BOB
What?! You’re taking her side? She lied to us and went out with some boys!

ALLIE
But…

BOB
No buts young lady, now go to your room while I think of how to punish you.

(Allie slowly gets up and runs up the stairs to her room)

LINDA
While YOU decide her punishment? What about me? Do I not get any say in this? Why is this all up to you?

BOB
No, you are too easy on her.

(At the same time)
BOB























LINDA
What is she thinking? Why is she





To easy on her? I’m the one the one
doing this?! What did we do






that raised her! You have always been
wrong that made her do this







too hard on the poor girl. She is just
to our family? She actually






a teenager. A poor young lady with a
disobeyed me. Me! Her father!








father who will not let her do



























anything. You need to give her some
more freedom! She needs to grow up!
Let her spread her wings!

(They look at each other in disbelief)

BOB
She needs to be disciplined. We gave her a time to be home and she wasn’t here.

LINDA
Who cares? She made it home before midnight. At least be proud of that. Think back to when we were dating. You never got me home on time.

BOB
This isn’t about us!

LINDA
Yes, it is. We are her parents. We have to be fair.

BOB
(Yelling) Life is not fair! She needs to learn that now, so that she can survive life! We need to teach her how to survive. She is in high school now. She needs to get the essential life skills in. Like discipline and getting home on time. She needs deadlines! When is the last time she cleaned her room? That’s right, you don’t know! You always do everything for her.

LINDA
I’m her mother, that’s why! It’s my job to take care of her.

BOB
It’s your job to prepare her for life! You need to step it up and help me raise a productive member of society, and not some free loading hippie!

LINDA
Don’t diss the hippies. Remember back when we were young. You are starting to sound more like my father every day!

BOB
(Gasped) Don’t you ever say that again! I am nothing like that man.

LINDA
You are too. Look at how you are treating her. It was just the way my father treated me when we were young.

BOB
(Yelling) Never compare me to him. He wouldn’t let you leave the house. I let her go with her friends.

LINDA
You would not have let her go with that boy.

BOB
I’m her father. If I don’t want her to go with someone then she will not!

LINDA
(Astonished) Listen to yourself! Listen to what you just said. My father said that exact thing to my mom when I was little! You have no clue what you are even doing!

(Bob threw himself down in the chair and rested his face in his hands. Shaking his head, he looked back up at Linda. Tears are in his eyes.)

LINDA
Bob, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? It’s okay. Allie is still just a young girl. You can still control her a bit, but you need to let her have some freedom. She needs to be able to grow into the young lady that we want her to be. She will always be your little girl though.

BOB
I know. I just got scared.. I don’t want her to get hurt by this stupid boy.

LINDA
She needs to learn it herself. Just let her be.

BOB
I’m sorry. I don’t know why I acted like that.

LINDA
Its okay Bob. I love you. (Yelling) Allie! Could you come down here for a bit?

BOB
What are you doing?

LINDA
You need to apologize to each other.

(Allie walks in very timidly. She is afraid of the yelling that she believes is on its way.)

ALLIE
Yes Mom?

BOB
Allie, I’m sorry. I should trust you more. You should have to lye to me about where you are going.

ALLIE
I’m sorry too Dad. I should have just gone out with my girlfriends like I said I was going to.

(Linda looks through the mail from that day)

LINDA
Oh, look! It’s a letter from Aunt Stacy! She is safely in Paris. She sent us her love.

BOB
Oh, I’m glad she made it there. She has really made something of her life. A famous news journalist!

ALLIE
We should go visit her sometime! That would be so much fun!
LINDA
Maybe one day, when you are older. We can’t take you all the way to Paris! Just think of all those cute French boys!

ALLIE
Oh Mom! You can trust me!

BOB
Maybe one day sweetheart.

END SCENE