spare the rod and spoil the child

spare the rod and spoil the child

Teaching part time at school I see so many young men on the path to the local jails. It breaks my heart. We need to do something.

fiction
edward w pritchard

So many people have it all figured out. They have no use for the outdated, cruel theories of the Bible, such as spare the rod and spoil the child. They are horrified that anyone would suggest such a brutal, barbaric action.

Meanwhile as our normal citizen drives to the mall they pass the local penitentiary, surrounded by barb wire, and filled to the brim with young men; many of whom didn't receive the  proper education of how to accept authority, keep their mouth shut appropriately, or be demonstrated to by example how not to talk to an angry policeman as a proxy for those in authority representing our societies values.

The schools segregate the students into those who can and will follow the rules, then behave productively and stay out of trouble, and then another group of miscreants. The other much smaller group can not or will not learn how to function successfully in a class room which is a microcosm for the rules required to function in our society. This group takes a substantial proportion of the scarce resources of the school system and is coddled along until at the age 15 or so they often enter the correction system.

Who is to  blame that our jails are overflowing with young men. Meditate on this: spare the rod and spoil the child. All children to be corporally punished? Of course not. But a strong willed, defiant child needs early correction. Moderate physical punishment is one option. Justice is not often pretty, but on a minor scale it starts at home. Care enough about your children and those in society to keep them out of jail by providing early, direct instruction and correction of unsocial behavior. Such correctional behavior should be used  sporadically by a loving parent to leverage verbal instruction especially when immediate compliance by the child is necessary. Such as if your five year old son continues to bully his weaker cousin  after Mom tells him on several occasions to stop. Mom or Dad immediately swats their boy once or twice on the butt with the open palm of their hand, making sure the child understands why he is being punished. It is an obligation of parenthood to correct your child's asocial and dangerous behavior. Especially a defiant, hard headed,  young son needs corrected  in this manner up to an appropriate age, say seven or eight years old. All children do not need disciplined in this way and it should not occur outside the home.  No good parent enjoys discipling their child either physcially or verbally. However, such instruction is a primary obligation of parenting.
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