Coming home at 4:30 in the morning, sleeping three hours, then getting up and facing a new mission seems to be a frequent occurrence for young people these days.
In the old times, when I grew up, we simply got a spanking from our parents trying to put us back in line. Those days are gone. Not that the spanking had any revolutionary effect, but it slowed us down, at least momentarily.
The present generation of parenthood, whilst upbringing their kids, subscribe and rely mostly on that "dog-treat-training" method: "Honey, if you don't bark and you'll promise to be a good kid, I'll buy you a new CD player" ... or what have you not. I believe that method is doomed as much as the old fashion ways were. Actually it is worse. It creates spoiled brats waiting for life opportunities to be served on a silver platter.
So what is there to do?
I have a friend who lives in Vienna, Austria. He sends my daughter weekly parcels of junk from China via the internet. Should I be grateful? No, I should spank him the old fashion way! His only achievement for now is to put my daughter in a state of delusion, believing that material happiness is delivered by mail, for free of course. What a moron.
In the "very old" days they used to recite: "No matter is without spirit, and no spirit is without matter." That should be the doctrine taught to these youngsters - instead we flood them with fake artifacts made and assembled in a far-eastern manufacturing slave compound ... just in order to keep their temper tantrums down. Sick. The "West" is spoiled rotten ...
And all it takes to turn this around would be to teach our kids fundamental values again. Values of grace and awe, not shock and awe - and perhaps some modesty.
Monday, June 18
youth-hangover
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6 comments:
Zee, wonderful post. I loved it and I so agree (the photograph is also beautiful).
However, I think that this is not a universal problem. This is specific to "civilized" countries, and I actually think it is North American specific. In poorer, developing countries, kids still get "straightened up" or "slowed down" as you put it...
A 10 year old does not have the option to call the cops if her/his mom or her/his dad refused her/him a candy!
(the other side of the medal, is that the kid does not have the help she/he needs when they are truly brutalized and abused)
Yes _Z man, the western civilization has lost it's purge.
Values of grace, awe, and modesty. Beautiful, Zee. To kneel before the world in a state of delight and humility. That's so exactly right. That's what I want for my kids.
Be patient, feed the good hearts within their lovely spirits, pray or call or ask for them to be safe. They will be greater than us. And they're beautiful too.
Hello, Zee.
I was having a conversation about this issue last night, with someone that had the "No-spank" view, and it made me think through my position a bit. A few things that I came up with here--
One of the arguments against corporal punishment is that it is equated to hitting. This is a false representation, intentionally refusing to distinguish between the one and the other.
If I were to say that I was walking through a parking lot, and was approached by two men, and that one of the men hit me several times before taking my wallet, would you conceivably understand that I had been spanked in that parking lot?
To hold the spanking of a child as the equivalent of loading a fist with a roll of quarters and decking the child is simply wrong-headed. This view would see slapping a baby's hand as the very same as forcible amputation of the hand.
Also, the argument that it re-inforces the idea that "might makes right," that it is acceptable for bigger and stronger people to impose their will on the weaker, is entirely false. This argument is predicated on the falsity that children are incapable of recognizing members of their own peer group.
There is no evidence that being spanked by a parent or teacher would incline a child to allow themselves to be spanked by other children of their own peer group which happen to be bigger or stronger.
Then there's the "It breaks their spirit" argument, that says that children will fail to develop a healthy ego having received corporal punishment. This has to do with observances of abuse rather than discipline, and there are many other manners of abuse, such as the tying of hands or caging, that do not involve spanking.
A thing must necessarily be studied in its proper function to yield valid results. It is not through incorrect application of a thing that we discern its value.
My conclusion is that arguments against corporal punishment are more about confusing the issue rather than addressing the issue. Such arguments lack the validity of a legitimate position.
The objections are more about an adult's incapacity to differenciate than any legitimate concern for the child.
I agree with you... Not that spanking is good, but that the new way of is as bad or worst than the old way..
Either way there must a consequence to ones action, and if the kids know that very well in their childhood, life will be more realistic when they grow up..
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