Me, Myself and I

SPARE THE ROD.....

I was watching "Supernanny" on TV last night and as usual I found my temper rising to boiling point. I ask myself, "What kind of society do we live in that a 4 year old can get away with swearing like a trooper, saying things like I hate you mum, f**k off mum, f***ing w******s, you b*****d, etc, hitting and biting his mother and getting away with it all?!!" The only thing he got that was close to a reprimand was stop it! Dont yell at me! stay in your room! I tell you, my hands were itching to give one of them a good slap around the head, and it wasnt the little kid!
Whenever I see or hear things like this I entirely blame the parent(s) who, it seems, cannot discipline their child , either because they cannot be bothered or are unwilling/scared to do so because of "unspoken laws" about any kind of physical forms of disciplining children in this country. Most seem to forget that children follow by their example so its hardly surprising when kids pick up foul language when their parents are f***ing and blinding all over the place! I do not agree with the idea that physical punishment is 'harsh' and 'humiliating' for a child ; sure positive discipline is good but chlidren also need to be set boundaries and if a smack is called for, then so be it.
I applaud Supernanny's technique of coming down to the child's level, making eye contact and speaking in a low, firm voice and if he/she continues to misbehave to send them off to the naughty step/corner where they can reflect on their bad behaviour. My own experience growing up back home was that look from my mum or dad and that would be enough to make me behave. Failing that it was the 'koboko' or belt or slipper or whatever was within easy reach. ( by the way we only got smacked if we told lies repeatedly- one thing my parents instilled in us was telling the truth no matter what)
At the end of the day I dont believe smacking is wrong but obviously there is a thin line between discipline and abuse and care should be taken that it is not crossed. (Having attended primary and secondary school in Nigeria I look back now and think not all those punishments we received were in the name of discipline; some teachers were just plain spiteful! ) It is easier to instill values into a child when he is young than when he is older and set in his ways, as the good book says, "train up a child in the way he should go and when he is older he will not depart from it."

posted by Beautifully Human @ 9:47 AM