by Kelly Thomas

Created on: February 04, 2010

Mankind's history has seen a great decline in morals, values and discipline. Why? Many people would ask, well they have moved away from the fundamentals of discipline, be it by retracting certain privileges or more greatly spanking. True anything thing done excessively without any sense of direction will not work and may even border on abuse, but of course that is not the form of discipline we are referring to.

To put it quite frankly many of us grew up with a sense of fear of a superior being and this fueled in our parents the need to follow his guidelines and that included the discipline of our children. Yes the bible is a guideline, be opposed to it or not as a relevant authority on the subject at hand. No one can argue on the value of the words which states “A boy let on the loose will be causing his mother shame.”( a direct quote from the bible at Proverbs 29:15) Isn't that clearly the truth of what we are seeing today? Children having no regard for their parents and adults alike, their fear have completely gone because there are no consequences for their actions.

Children who are disciplined, not occasionally, but with consistency have become some of the most respected and mannerly people you have ever met. Many will tell you that back then, when they were children, they did not fully appreciate the value of the discipline. However that discipline, when given moderately and consistently, has helped to mold them into the wonderful, contributing adults that they are today.

Today's children are hungering for discipline; they have that inborn sense that it is a necessary part of life, though they will not tell you that. How many times has it been said by a teenager: “I wish my parents would just talk to me, they don't care what I do.”? Children want to be seen and heard, they want to know they are valued, even when disciplined a child will at least have the sense that he has someone who cares. When a parent ignores disciplining a child they are, as the bible says ‘irritating’ their children. Thus many children will carry out their irritation by means of tantrums and shear rebellion. It's as if they are shouting “I need you to be the parent here.”

Needless to say though, children will always act up, it's essential to their growth in this imperfect world, but equally essential is maintaining discipline, including spanking. No, discipline can never be replaced by buying affection, in the means of all the new gadgets and clothing. That my friends promote the same spoiled, ungrateful,and undisciplined children we are afraid of. Find balance, talk to and with your children and never hold back from disciplining them. Let your yes mean yes and your no, no. Take the lead by setting the example that they will have no choice but to follow.

 So discipline makes a good man. May we all work hard to maintain the old time values that had contributed to making the world so much better than it is today. Keep discipline in its place.

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