Episode Overview

Podcast: The Ramsey Show Highlights
Episode: Make My 10-Year-Old Pay For The $1,000 Table He Broke?
Date: December 11, 2025
Host: Ramsey Network Team (featuring Ken Coleman, co-host/guest Julia)

This episode centers on a practical parenting and financial dilemma: Should a parent make their 10-year-old son pay for breaking expensive household items—specifically a $400 window and a glass table that costs thousands to replace? The discussion tackles personal responsibility, teaching kids about consequences and money, and how to balance grace and discipline, all through a candid, lively, and relatable exchange.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: The Incidents

• Julia (the caller/guest) shares that her 10-year-old son broke a $400 window by throwing a baseball, despite repeated warnings not to play in that spot. He also broke a glass table by pushing on it while standing up, though multiple children were involved in that moment ([00:12]-[01:09]).
• Julia: “We had told him not to do this, but he thought it was only... the glass door... He didn't realize the little door next to the door could break too.” ([00:39])
• Julia has made makeshift repairs to the table by taping up the jagged edge and turning it toward the wall while waiting for bulk trash pickup ([01:52], [07:44]).

2. Intent vs. Accident: Evaluating the Child’s Actions

• Ken and the Host clarify there’s a difference between intentional destruction and an accident born of disobedience, particularly in active, spirited boys. Both hosts reflect on their own childhoods and current parenting styles, recognizing kids often push limits in exuberant play ([04:45]-[05:31]).
• Host: “Disobedience and intentional destruction are two different things to me. Both are punishable because his disobedience was... more around a sport... It wasn't the window itself.” ([06:04])

3. Parenting Philosophy: Consequences and Lessons

• The consensus is that genuine remorse matters, but there must still be a consequence to reinforce respect for property and parental rules.
• Ken: “You told him a thousand times and he still did it. I'd make him pay for the full 400 [dollars]. Now on the glass table, I wouldn't make him pay the thousand dollars... but I'd still have him pay something.” ([03:54])
• Ken: “He needs to do real work for somebody and get some money back. I love this actually, because you're not mad at him or yelling at him, and you're going, look, Sparky, there's consequences.” ([04:19])

4. Age-Appropriate Accountability

• Ken advocates scaling the financial consequence to the nature of the incident and the warnings given. He supports making the child work for the money—outside the home and regular chores, suggesting lawn mowing or similar jobs ([04:20]).
• Ken: “I started cutting lawns at 11. Don't anybody freak. Don't at me.” ([04:22])

5. Parental Softness and Gender Differences

• The hosts acknowledge being “soft” on their own kids, reflecting on differences in behavior between boys and girls. Boys’ high energy leads to more destruction, which is often more about activity than malice ([08:44]).
• Ken: “All little boys’ brains are on fire... and that's just part of being a boy.” ([08:44])

6. Safety and Pragmatism

• The hosts caution about temporary fixes for broken items, especially glass, prioritizing child safety over waiting for bulk trash schedules ([01:56], [07:27]).
• Ken: “I must be getting older. I don't like the shard of glass turned towards the wall with the tape on it... I get the table out of there.” ([07:26])

7. Wrap-Up: Teaching Responsibility Without Harshness

• The hosts agree that Julia is a good mom and that requiring her son to pay for the damage is a solid teaching moment, not harsh punishment ([09:00]).
• Ken: “...this is a great way to teach a lesson... that's enough punishment just to kind of go, here's the concept.” ([09:00])
• Host: “He needs to feel a little something—an effect of what his actions are. So I get that.” ([09:08])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ken: “You told him a thousand times and he still did it. I'd make him pay for the full 400 [dollars] now on the glass table... I'd still have him pay something, but not $1,000.” ([03:54])
• Host: “Disobedience and intentional destruction are two different things to me. Both are punishable...” ([06:04])
• Ken: “He needs to do real work for somebody and get some money back. I love this actually, because... there's consequences.” ([04:19])
• Ken: “I just want to be clear. You don't think he was being disobedient? Yes or no? He was disobeying his mom.” ([05:56])
• Julia: "[The 10-year-old] is the most destructive. My 12 year old just broke a glass part of picture frames because he threw a ball in the house even though he knows not to." ([08:24])
• Ken: “All little boys’ brains are on fire. I know... and that's just part of being a boy.” ([08:44])
• Host: “He needs to feel a little something—an effect of what his actions are.” ([09:08])

Important Timestamps

• 00:12–01:09: Julia describes the broken window and table incidents; warnings prior to the events.
• 03:11–03:55: Ken gives firm advice on consequences and payment.
• 04:19–04:45: Discussion about requiring kids to earn money via real work to pay for damages.
• 06:04–07:04: Debate on disobedience vs. intention, and when consequences are warranted.
• 07:27–07:44: Host and Ken circle back to the safety hazard posed by the broken glass table.
• 08:24–09:14: Julia reflects on differences in behavior among her three kids; hosts share empathy and humor.

Summary Table: Guidance and Takeaways

| Incident | Host/Ken Ruling | Key Reason | |-----------------|-------------------------------------------|------------------------| | Broken Window | Pay full $400 (Ken) or at least a portion | Clear disobedience | | Broken Table | Pay part, not full (Ken) | Mixed responsibility & less clear warning |

Teach consequences for repeated, willful disobedience, scaling penalties to reflect the child's understanding and means and focusing on teaching—not just punishing.

Tone and Final Insights

The episode strikes a lighthearted yet practical tone, empathizing with the challenges of raising active kids while stressing the importance of teaching respect for property and natural consequences. The hosts provide actionable advice while recognizing the emotional nuance of parenting real children, not just financial “cases.” Julia leaves with validation and a plan—and the hosts wrap with laughter and realism about family life.

Useful for parents facing similar dilemmas: require a child to contribute toward damages when there’s clear disobedience—help them earn the money through real-world work, and use the situation as a teaching moment about consequences, not just as a punishment.