Any Superhero fighting for Justice while taking on the responsibilty of a sidekick, knows how difficult it can be to both be parent and hero to your young ward.
Nothing is more important than getting your Jr. partner to do what is right...without crushing their young spirit.
There was one time in particular where Robin had taken up a new hobby: lying; and he was doing it so well that he was raising it to an art form.
So one day I set him down in our usual place for discussing these types of things.
"No longer am I going to ASK you to do somthing." I told the boy. "I am going to TELL that you'd better do it. This is my law : You do what I TELL you to do...you are aparently not ready for freedom...you dont function well with it...do you understand?"
"Yes sir Batman" Robin shook his head up and down flashing his most innocent look to me...and I was sure that this would be the end of it.
That night we went out on patrol and were in the middle of breaking up a jewle heist..I saw two of the men break off down the ally.
"Robin, go after them...but dont fight them...just use a birdarang line to tangel them up...I will be there in a minuet. " I commanded...the Boy Wonder eagerly nodded and took off. I quickly finished off the 4 bruisers had tried jumping me from behind...and quickly went to help Robin with the remaining two...when I got there..I found that Robin had not only lied...when he said he would obey me... but chose hand to hand combat with the two baddies...and was losing...badly.
It took some difficulty because they bad guys were now using my own sidekick as a shield but I managed to knock out the lead man...and rescue Robin while the other man escaped.
"Robin...Why diddnt you do what you were told??" I said trying hard to not sound as angry as I felt. "This is the second time I have had to tell you"
The young boy shrugged his shoulders and began concentraiting on a piece of gravel on the ground of the ally.
"Well...its just..I dont know I just diddnt feel like doing it your way"
I took a deep breath...not the answere I wanted to hear from him.
"Very well. How does this idea strike you?...when we get back to the Batcave, I'm going to kick your butt."
Now I know many Superheros and Psycologist feel that kicking butt is not the way to deal with an errant sidekick...but in the case of Robin it seems that this was the only course of action that I could use to get the boys attention. not only because I want him to grow up to be upstanding...but because if he continues his disobediant ways I may come to find my sidekick has been killed by a pyscotic clown with a metal pipe.
The rest of the nights patrol when smoothly and we finnaly made it back to the Batcave...Robin kept oddly silent as we exited the Batmobile.
"Young man," I said calmly, "I told you that when we got home I was gonna kick your behind."
"Yes sir." he replied
"And you know why, dont you?"
"Yes sir."
"Then come follow me" I said turning around and walking toward my desk where the large Batcomputer resided.
"Robin, we are now going to have a little talk about breaking the law and lying"
The boy watched me open the bottom drawer of my desk and pull out a large wooden paddle, his usual cool suddenly gave way to fear.
"B-batman, I know I was wrong," he said "and I'm really sorry for what I did. I will never do it again!" A small hint of panic in his voice.
"I appreciate your saying that," I said "and I love you as my son; but I made a promise to you and you wouldn't respect me if I broke it."
"Oh, Batman, I'd respect you!...I would respect you LIKE CRAZY!"
"Robin, its too late."
"Its NEVER too late!!"
The boy was reaching heights of legal eloquence, which diddnt help him because I have often wanted to hit lawyers, too.
"Just turn around and bend over." I said finnaly. "I want you to know that this is a form of punishment I truly do not believe in."
"I hate to see you go against your principals Batman!"
"I can make an exception. I also will NOT say that this will hurt me more than it will hurt you. That would be true only if I turned around and let you hit me. This is simply a barbaric form of punishment, but it happens to match your barbaric behavior."
I then raised the paddle and struck him squarly across his hindquarters. He rose up on his toes in the point postion and the tears began. I repeated this action ten more times...untill I was sure he was truly repentant.
"Now do you understand my point about lying?" I said.
"Oh, yes sir" he said. "I've never understood it better!"
"Fine. Now you can go."
He then turned to leave and I suddenly smacked him hard again with the paddle.
When he turned back to me with a look of having been betrayed, I said. "I'm sorry; I lied. do you ever want me to lie to you again?
"N-no sir."
And to this day, he has not lied again to me or anyone. Moreover, I have recived compliments from the Justice League on how Robins integrity surpasses many of their own members.