GOOD post.
I hope parents here take the time to read it.
Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social (and sometimes nostalgic) aspects that directly effects Generation Reagan / Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1981) including all the spending previous generations are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.
Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my home page for details and previous articles.
Children are born liberals. The role of parenting is one of civilizing them into conservatives.
Great article...we do need to protect our children, but we don’t need to bubblewrap them.
Want the short answer to the headline?
Yes.
MA is making it illegal to swat your kid on the butt.
“Most of us have been in social situations where we’ve observed, with incredulity, a parent bow to the extreme demands of a menacingly persistent child, inches from a tantrum — “Okay, but honey, that’s your last package of Twizzlers before breakfast.” Worse, many of us too often have been that parent.”
We’ve all been there. It’s so much easier to just give in, and I’ve been guilty of it occasionally but you have to find the energy and willpower to remain vigilant. It only helps them down the road and life and helps retain your own sanity for the long term. ;)
Yes.
I admit that our own sons have a great deal in the way of material possessions. It is hard to come up with ideas for Christmas or birthday gifts, because frankly, they have so much already. They don't have as much as their peers, however, and certainly far less in the form of consumer electronics, let alone expensive clothing. Thanks in good measure to my tough-as-nails husband, they hear "no" quite regularly. They help with yard work and house cleaning, which was a normal thing in households of our youth. In our community, this is now rare. Most of the yard work is done by "Manuel and Jose" and the housecleaning by "Juanita and Maria". Most local kids don't have a clue how to clean a toilet, change a cat box, set a mousetrap, use power tools, or start a push lawnmower. It's not good for them, and when times get tough, they'll have a steep learning curve.
Dem-O-Brats.
Absolutely correct, I’m horrified at the parenting I see around me, and my daughter is as well. My husband and I consider it a badge of honor that our children often told us growing up that we were the ‘meanest parents ever!!’
Producing? It’s already produced them.
This “child-centered” (so-called) parenting seems to be the norm. I cannot stand to be near most people’s brats on airlines, in restaurants, or at malls. They seem oblivious to well-managed stares and ‘the hairy eyeball’.
“No” was the second word my little son learned this year. The first word being the cat’s name of course, who helped him learn to walk.
Beat their arse and send them to their room to think about it. Rinse. Repeat until you get the desired behavior. It worked in my family.
We are trying to parent with the goal of teaching our son to be independent AND civilized. This is much harder than I anticipated. At fifteen months, it seems like we are experiencing the “terrible two’s”. He will frequently say “no, no, no, ...” as he is doing what we have previously told him not to do.
I may now be paying the price for all the complaining I used to do about other peoples’ children.
I find this to be great news.
Generations of muppets can’t compete with those I’m related to that were brought up properly. It bodes well for their success.
My wife works childcare at our church preschool. She’s got 2 of these little hellions, both supposedly being raised in Christian homes. I happened to be there one day when one boy told my wife “no” when asked to pick up the mess he had made - I asked him if he tells his parents “no” - he nodded his head yes.