A parent’s responsibility is to help your child become self-reliant, respectful, and self-controlled. Relatives, schools, churches, therapists, health care professionals, and others can help. But the primary responsibility of discipline rests with parents.
By JAMES W. WADE III
Staff Reporter
Conversations have sparked up over the weekend behind the last Friday arrest of Megachurch pastor and televangelist Creflo Dollar, who has drawn scrutiny for his flashy lifestyle and prosperity preaching. Authorities say he slightly hurt his 15-year-old daughter during a fight at his metro Atlanta home.
The thought of having a 15 year old tell you what they are not going to do and you not being able to discipline your child has cause parents to wonder what they can do. On the other side, some parents feel that’s why we have so much crime now because parents have no rights to handle their child and they run wild.
Coming up in a house with parents who cared, I realized when they did discipline me, I deserved it. I see where some kids just lay around and do what they want to do when they want to do it.
Do you remember never going to bed with dirty dishes in the sink? But parents say now I don’t want to be the same way my parents were to me, so the child does what they want. Now, they leave TVs on all night because parents are scared to tell them to turn it off.
While you are laughing and thinking it’s cute, it’s that same child who gets mad at you and shut you down and you have to run to your parents crying because they are not talking to you and you want them to be your friend.
Parents should be parents. They are not your running buddy or your BFF. When I was growing up, me and my parents never went to the Host House or the Forge together to party.
Dollar’s 15-year-old was the one who called authorities and her 19-year-old sister corroborated the story. Dollar faces misdemeanor charges of simple battery and cruelty to children. He bonded out of Fayette County jail Friday morning.
“As a father, I love my children and I always have their best interest at heart at all times, and I would never use my hand to ever cause bodily harm to my children,” Dollar said in a statement released by his lawyer Nikki Bonner.
“The facts in this case will be handled privately to further protect my children. My family thanks you for your prayers and continued support.”
The debate over spanking as discipline or punishment is really being discussed as never before. Proponents of whoopings often quote the famous line, “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” as though it were actually scripture from the Bible.
In truth, it is not.
But in all fairness, it makes since the more you allow them to get away with, they will continue. The problem with most kids is the parents. Do they ever check homework anymore? Do they ask ‘how was school’ or ‘did you learn anything today?’ The answer is no to most. But, they’ll ask ‘how is your girlfriend doing?’
Parents used to have your school clothes out for you in the morning. Now, little girls go with hair undone, short shorts, and things that are not becoming of young ladies. Boys with sagging pants showing their underwear is not a cute thing.
You provide discipline to your child so that he or she can function well at home and in public. Every parent wants their children to be happy, respectful, respected by others, and able to find their place in the world as well-behaved adults.
Nobody wants to be accused of raising a spoiled brat.
But you must have standards. Remember when your parents would make you leave the room by saying, ‘grown people are talking?’ Discipline is the process of teaching your child what type of behavior is acceptable and what type is not acceptable.
In other words, discipline teaches a child to follow rules.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that beating them just because you can is acceptable. You can not come home mad at the world and beat your child to take out your anger. That’s where I draw the line.
Being an only child, I didn’t have to worry about my siblings getting away with certain things. Parent’s let one child do anything under the sun and never bother them, but then try to kill the other one because they dislike their daddy, laughing and saying, ‘I can’t stand your daddy so I will take it out on you.’
A parent’s responsibility is to help your child become self-reliant, respectful, and self-controlled. Relatives, schools, churches, therapists, health care professionals, and others can help. But the primary responsibility of discipline rests with parents.
Share your thoughts with me at jwade@call-post.com
Reporter’s note: The opinions expressed in the above article are solely those of the writer and are not necessarily the views of the Call & Pos
