Next time I hear people wail ‘parental responsibility’ when it comes to bullying on line, I have a link to show them!
The fact is that parents can take all the action they like to discipline their kids, but their hands are tied because of their children’s ‘rights’.
I remember my kids coming home from school and telling me that they had been taught that I had no right to discipline them, and that if my wife or I dared, then they could call the police to have us charged.
My response to this was simply: “That’s fine, our rules are there for your good! If you break the rules, discipline follows, full stop!”
I then went on to explain that they would in all probability be taken away from us, and put with strangers who they didn’t know!
Don’t get me wrong, discipline in our house was never over strict, and certainly not abusive, but to teach children properly, there have to be guidelines.
And there have to be rewards and restrictions or punishments for different behavior.
That’s the way kids learn. OK, I can hear you say try reasoning with them, but anyone who has tried to deal with a two year old bent on getting or doing something knows just how much sense that is going to make.
So it was with disgust that I read this article from News Ltd earlier today!
A father who restricted his 12 year old daughter’s activities because she posted inappropriate material on a site was hauled into court and sued by the girl.
A system, and a society that screams ‘where are the parents?’ when kids get into trouble needs to stop and take a good, long hard look at itself.
Time and again parents are blamed and vilified when kids and teens get into trouble, and yet when they try and take action, their hands are tied.
Do gooders can cry and wring their hands about all the terrible things that these kids , and adults, get up to on Myspace, Bebo and Facebook, yet when one father decides to try and do something about what his daughter is up to, his hands are tied.
Maybe he did choose the wrong thing to try and discipline her with, but for goodness sake, suing him?
What’s the world coming to? Am I just too old fashioned?
