I was at the shops when I overheard a
conversation with a mother and her son:
Son: Close your eyes
Mum: You are not getting anything
Son: Just close your eyes
Mum: No
I then wondered out of earshot. I few
minutes later I overheard them again.
Mum: Okay you can have one
Son: Ok, but there are others
(He then wondered off to the toy isle
and returned with three packets containing toys)
Son: I need all of these
Mum: But you already have this one
Son: But you don’t understand
I again thankfully wondered out of
earshot.
From no to ok in a few minutes shows the
lack of parenting skills that many parents display today.
Many older people “quote the bible”
saying “Spare the rod, spoil the child”. As many parents do not believe in
smacking as a form of discipline this quote is totally redundant.
This so-called “quote” does not even
appear in the bible.
The verse in question is Proverbs 13:24
which I have listed below from various translations and none of them state that
the child will be spoilt.
* Those who spare the rod of discipline
hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline
them.
New Living Translation
* Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves is diligent to discipline him.
English
Standard Version
* He who spares his rod hates his son,
But he who loves him disciplines him properly.
New
King James
* Whoever spares the rod hates their
children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them
New
International Version
* A refusal to correct is a refusal to
love; love your children by disciplining them.
The
Message
The version that’s works the best for
today’s world is The Message.
It is simple and clear. Correct your
child and discipline them. There is no mention of smacking.
The important lesson here is discipline
your children. You are doing them a disservice by not disciplining them. If you
raise a child who does not understand the meaning of the word no, they are more
likely to become a burden on society rather than a productive member of
society.
A young adult who does not understand
the meaning of no will most likely:
* Fail in school as they will not
believe teachers when they say no
* Fail in University as they will not
believe the lecturers when they say no
* Loose many jobs as they will
constantly clash with managers who say no
* Argue with Police Officers who say no
and may get arrested
* Argue with anyone in authority who
says no
Raising a child with boundaries and who
understands the meaning of the word no is not easy. It requires time, effort
and consistency.
It sounds like hard work and it is, but
it can be done. I have met children who have never been smacked, but when mum
says no, they understand and accept the answer.
However to many parents today are too
wrapped up with their online life to worry about their children. Tablets, smart
phones, TV and computer games have become the children’s baby sitters.
According to an article listed below the
average person spends 490 minutes a day online. That equates to over 8 hours a
day. No wonder parents are not spending any time disciplining their children.
I am really glad all our children are
young adults and have been raised with discipline. However I feel really sorry
for them when the younger generation join them in the workforce.
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