A video recently floated about on my Facebook timeline.
It was a 96-second clip about how a little boy called the cops on his mom, when she hit him with a belt for playing truant. As the story slowly began to unfold, the cop confronted the little boy.
“You called the police on your mom because she disciplined you for ditching school,” the cop said out loud.
“That’s child abuse. I’ve got rights!” the kid, who must have been no more than 7, snarkily added.
And with as much love that I have for kids, I have to say that I side with the cop.
Because I couldn’t agree more.
Discipline Versus Abuse
So, where exactly does one draw the line between discipline and abuse?
As far back as I remember, slippers, belts, rotans, and hangers used to be parenting staples, but they are now replaced with laptops, mobile phones, TV and Pokémon GO. Has parenting become more lax these days?
Now, I’m in no place to comment on another person’s parenting style, as I know fairly well that I’ll only know what it takes to be one, when I am one. However, I have certainly noticed how there is a stark difference between millennial parenting and that of parents who were born during the era of baby boomers and Generation X.
Hence, if there is one thing that I hope I do wrong by the eyes of society, it is to discipline my kids well. Whether that means constantly reinstating certain ground rules however ‘strict’ they may be, or going by the good ol’ rotan way, I hope that that is one thing I’ll remember to do.
Disciplining In Public
It seems like disciplining children, especially that which is done in public, is frowned upon. Parents wonder if they are causing an unnecessary scene, and this is on top of potentially causing the little ones to throw a tantrum which might disturb the personal space of others.
Due to this, and any other reasons that they may have, millennial parents would sometimes resort to giving in, even when the kid is in the wrong. It could be anything as seemingly little as a white lie, or caving in to something that was forbidden, or just praising a child even when the kid has made an unquestionable error.
A wrong is a wrong and I hope that I have the guts to instill that in my future children.
No, I don’t wish to be deemed as the bad mom, but then again, it’s my responsibility to do so—not my future child’s teachers, friends or relatives. If we chose to bring them into this world, then it is our prerogative to make sure our children grow up right and do not become a nuisance to others.
How Far Is Too Far?
I hope I make the mistake of being a controlling parent in the future, because if my child falls between the cracks, it is my fault, one way or another. He or she had been under my jurisdiction, and if I did not set a clear example of what is right and wrong from the very start, then I am the one who made the mistake.
It doesn’t matter whether others deem this parenting style as demanding or “too much”. It’s a mistake that I hope I’m willing to make.
At the end of the day, we may not want to admit it, but the children brought up by the slippers, belts, rotans, and hangers are the ones who wind up thanking their parents that they were brought up this way in the first place.
I would know, because I was one.
Feature Image Credit: Little Child Big Dreams
