Did the term "grounding" as a punishment for kids precede the same term for pilots being prevented from flying?

No, but that’s something my dad would make a joke about.

Example of one of my dad’s jokes:
We were out to dinner and deciding whether to order the Zen Chicken.
My dad said: “Can you think of anything Buddha?”

I would think logic would have it that it would be the other way around. Unless for some reason the term was used for birds. Sounds like a military origin.

@girlofscience: Oh god, I am getting old if I’m compared to people’s father.

@Seesul: Agreed. That’s actually what I was thinking but was too tired to get the phrasing in my question right.

@ketoneus: aren’t you about to become someon’e father – soon?

@gailcalled: still a few months away, but good point.

Maybe you should have modified that with: “old enough to be a flutherer’s father”!

To answer the original question, yes the slang term derives from the grounding of an airplane (or pilot).

@Marina: thank you for the answer

I have no idea, but now that you mention it, it sounds plausible!

Zen chicken?