Spare the rod

Disciplining children is quite a challenge today than 20 years ago. Is this the fault of the changing society or of the parents themselves?

The fast changing society

As we enter into the advance computer age, where everything is becoming virtual now, and so perhaps is parenting. From infancy to early childhood, children have been monitored by their nannies or nannies and children by the parents through the remote camera/monitor system. This way, children learn to be independent at an early stage. These computer age children learn to do things by their own without the direct supervision of their parents.  They tend to pattern their attitudes and behavior through what they see from the TV monitors, Videos, iPods, Laptops, and even smartphones that are being used to get their attention while their nannies or parents are busy doing something else.  We are now in a society of remote controls.

Our education system has also changed!  The direct handing over of the second parents' power to the teacher has long vanished into the thin air.  The human rights laws have inculcated fears into the minds of the mentors that if they put a hand on their pupils or students, grave consequences may stand along their professional careers' way.  One mistake on their part, even if their intention is for the child's own sake, may cause job loss via a tedious, painful and a costly legal process.  And, because of this fear, teachers have long become disciples of robotic mentoring sharing their knowledge uncaring whether they have been applied in and out of school.  

The Modern Parents   

We (parents) ourselves are products of this fast changing society where we live in.  The upbringing that we have experienced will surely be handed over to our own children.  For some, it is the right and perfect way of rearing a child.  Some of us will become teachers and will help in the bringing up of other parents' children. Upbringing in ways that they believe are right.  Rods are spared, children go and do things as they wish.  Hence, disciplining now has become the obligation of the local authorities.  Bullying, drug dependencies, pre-marital sex, have already become common problems among our tots in the society.  Our local authorities have become busy these days creating, revising and re-creating laws to solve or at least minimize these reoccurring problems.  The rod that was spared by the parents and the second parents- the teachers has already been transferred to the hands of the local police.  The biggest problem is that, these local police and authorities are also products of a modern system in this advance computer age.  Oftentimes ignorant of the law that they try to execute, they too are sometimes fearful of the consequences that they may face in the course of implementing the necessary discipline to our little citizens.  Most of the time, they too would spare the rod that has been handed over to them.

In the end, we have this question: "Should we continue sparing the rod and ultimately spoil the good things our ancestors have started? Or should we put some controls that will put a limit to everything?"  Parenting is indeed a continued learning and a big challenge for each one of us.