STEALING THE SNICKERS

I was interested to read of STEALING THE SNICKERS
By Gordon Jay Alexander that Gordon's father used corporal punishment in the form of a razor strap. That was a very popular method of punishing "bad boys" in my childhood years, at about the same time as Gordon speaks and a few years earlier. NONE of us were the worse for it. My father never drew blood with his strap, though he used it often and judiciously. Every one in our family and those families around us who benefitted from the strap's influence grew into moral, kind, thoughtful, professional people. I can't help but think it's a myth that children (me up to age 17 !) are harmed by the experience of corporal punishment, even as severe as a razor strap, when used judiciously.

Our current level of wayward youth has more to do with two competent parents raising children together, than it has to do with physical abuse.

I got the strap in primary school and the cain in secondary school. But when I was given the choice of physical abuse or the alternative of mental torture which was an hour of detention, I and every one I knew always opted for the short, sharp and ‘it’s over soon’ punishment.

Hitting children isn’t the answer. I’m a parent and yes I smacked my kids when they were little, but as I was new to parenting, I soon learned that a firm voice and both parents enforcing the rules was more than enough than having to resort to a physical option.

I am of the firm belief that the rearing of children is more about two parents equally being involved with the ongoing education of children rather than punishment, that involves physical force.

My wife is a Teacher Aid at my kids school and practically all of the kids with problems come from broken (single parent and two parent working homes) and the one’s with problems who have two parents, the parents drop them off at 6.30 in the morning and pick them up at 6.30 at night.

In other words they might as well not even be trying to be parents. Why even bother?

Now I know that there are single parents doing their best and that many working parents are trying to do the right thing. But personally I believe neither is the ideal situation.

I personally think it should be law that all mothers should have to stay home with the child until they reach school age, but that would probably go against the trend of would be parents who see a child as an accessory rather than a priority.

I’m home when my kids leave for school and I’m home when they get back from school. Yes I live in Ohio, but I work in Cyberspace.

My wife works at their school, because that was her goal and she stayed home until they were ready for school and during that period she made up her mind about what she wanted to do and did home study until she was qualified.

I know everyone can’t have this ideal (to me) situation, but I think most of it includes the very foundation that is important about raising kids.

Max