Do we spare the rod?

Discipline is a word that comes up so often in our lives. In most cases, it is universally agreed upon that discipline is a virtue to be lauded. As adults, we are supposed to have self-discipline, to be able to adhere to strictly to our responsibilities and commitments. As students, we must have the discipline to be organised, to complete our assignments, and to succeed. As teachers, we aim to foster creative thought while maintaining a sense of discipline and order in the classroom. Society at large agrees with this.

But surprisingly, the one area in which the world consistently disagrees about discipline is when it comes to children. We were raised to be polite, gracious, and to respect our elders. We were very much loved by our parents, subjected to their disappointment for our wrongdoings, occasionally spoken to strictly, and once or twice, given a slap (one that surprised, but didn't hurt, much like the finger on the nose we give to our well-trained dogs).

Now, as parents, we hope to raise our own child in much the same way. And we agree with several of our friends who practice the philosophy of ‘time-outs’ with their children. It seems a very effective punishment. One would think that parents would agree as a united whole to gently discipline their children into good behavior. This seems NOT to be the case.

Our generation seems to be full of a type of self-righteous parent who believes one is harming a child by not allowing him to have his way in everything. Recently, at a children's event we attended, we were confronted by some of the worst behaviour we've ever seen.

A six-year-old girl snatched the large drawing paper that was being used by all the children and stated, "You can't draw here anymore. My daddy owns this place." As far as I can remember, children have always spoken like this. But as far as I can also remember, a parent who witnessed this from their child would say or do something to stop it, not just giggle ashamedly at the other parents. There are some people who believe that even the mildest of discipline will traumatise a child, forgetting that it’s those members of society with social skills and graces who are most well-adjusted.

As every generation ages, it’s inevitable that its members will complain about the behavior of youth.

This only makes us wonder what we'll think about the new crop of teenagers, products of the ever-growing philosophy of no-discipline, when we hit 50.

RAGHAVA KK AND NETRA SRIKANTH

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