I never had children. I'm childless. Sin hijos. But I, of course, was a child. I had "old-time" parents. They set rules for kids and if you were a child of their generation, you'd better not break one of their rules. I survived beatings with a belt and with switches (long thin branches from a bush) for the smallest infraction. I think most kids did in those days.
But I see kids today that obviously don't live by rules. I don't know if their parents simply don't set rules for them, or if the kids ignore the rules and suffer no consequences. Those kids will grow up to be adults who think rules don't apply to them. They will think they're above the law. I've seen it. The people who never had rules will be selfish. They won't care about rules and regulations—those are for other people.
What can parents of today do for their kids? Set boundaries. Have consequences when those boundaries are crossed. I'm not saying applying a belt or a switch is the right punishment, but there must be some consequences when the parents' rules are ignored. Some rules will be for the safety of the children and ignoring them will put the children's lives in peril. Some rules will be there just because we live in a society with rules that help our society function smoothly.
Parents who don't create and enforce rules in their home can expect to have selfish and self-centered adults when their children grow up. The world already has too many of that kind of person.
I can't tell you how my country used to be. That's something you can only know if you were there. But having been there, I can say that the difference between then and now is eye-popping. It's startling. More than that, it's alarming. I look at what is happening today in my country and the old phrase "Going to Hell in a Handbasket" comes to my mind.
If you're of my generation, you know I'm right because you've lived through it and you've seen it. If you're a younger person, what's coming for you one day is a world you won't believe.
You'll see.
2 comments:
Buenos dias!
Wow! This is an amazing subject and I am glad that you wrote about it. Complete agree with you.
When I was in school, even the teachers taught us, manners, respect, education, now they don't know anything about and they don't take the time to teach them. I understand that times are changing constantly but to lose manners and moral is unacceptable.
Same like you, we were raised in the way that if we did not do what our parents asked us to do, were punished very bad and we learned. Now these parents and kids are a joke, parents don't care about it and kids care less. Parents are focus with their jobs, make money and be happy having their kids in a school, no matter what they teach them.
They don't spend the time teaching them manners or moral. I have a grandson and he even says "good morning" when he gets up, he doesn't say "thank you". I have to remind him constantly these things, and guess what, that was not the way how I raised my kids, but these are others times and things change, this is bologne. I will never be agree with these changes.
I got punished many times by my parents, but I don't regret it because I learned many good things in my life that helped me to be better person.
Great post! Mr. VW, and I am glad that you chose this subject. I hope the persons that will read it, will be agree with you, as I am.
TA
Greetings
Even though you have no children you certainly hit the mark of understanding of these times.
There is a huge generational divide about raising kids and training them to become good adults. I love the blog and the descriptions -- they are all true -- I also got punished and learned how to act. I've often pointed out to my family the benefits of my upbringing which was overly strict. There does not seem to be a good balance though -- now and again I wonder how different my life would be had I not had such a tyrannous upbringing.
It's sad to think how it will continue to change. But in fairness --even the parents who instilled discipline into their kids still failed -- there is more than meets the eye here -- and only you --wise one can find out why and describe it in your blog.
Great writing.
LL
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