Lack Of Discipline In Today's Society, Did Dr. Benjamin Spock Start It All?
Judy Ramsook
September 10, 2006
Throughout time we humans have been known to play the blame game when it comes to certain matters. If people in authority are known to have told a lie about something, others among us might tend to blame them for people who lie about whatever it is they lie about.
If, on the other hand, the matter is more personal and involves the carefree, disrespectful way some young women in society dress and carry themselves, some people blame it on feminists. Or it may be that women today have too much freedom or lack discipline as a result of the feminists’ movement. Does the problem go deeper than that though? How about a certain former pediatrician by the name of Dr. Benjamin Spock?
When his book, Baby And Child Care was first published in 1946, it soon became one of the all time best sellers. So much so that by 1998 it had sold more than 50 million copies and had been translated into 39 languages.
He indeed had a message for new and soon to be parents. His aim of the book was to inform these parents about a better way to raise their kids without being too strict.
He told them, in his book, ‘you know more than you think you do.’ For Dr. Spock studied psychoanalysis in an attempt to have a better understanding of children’s and family dynamics.
In a nutshell, he wanted parents to be more lenient and affectionate with their kids, but with all this leniency those parents practised, was it so much that they failed to enforce strict disciplinary rules of conduct?
Nowadays, one does not have to look too far for confirmation of that. Everything it seems, from the scanty way most young people dress to the disrespectful way they treat their elders, not to mention their peers reeks of lack of proper discipline.
Mention the word spanking in certain circles, and one may even receive a few strange glances from anyone within earshot.
Or worse yet, if a parent goes too far in spanking his/her kid that it leaves a mark, right away the Child Protective Services people are contacted.
The thing is, most kids today are aware of this. Something that does not add any weight to any disciplinary action any parent/guardian wishes to dole out.
For if kids know that a parent’s spanking should not be doled out to him/her to begin with for fear that parent may go too far, the kid has every right to pick up the telephone and contact the Child Protective Services him/herself.
So if this is what has been taking place in homes across the land, not much discipline is being doled out, thus giving kids somewhat of the upper hand.
It’s probably too late now to double back and enforce strict disciplinary rules, especially with all those child abuse laws firmly in place, but what’s a parent to do if he/she wants to raise a child who shows respect to him/herself and others?
Treat him/her with respect, for this Dr. Spock flexibility rule has already transended from one generation into the next. And it seems like it will continue along that path for a long time to come. Good luck to the future.
Source For Information on Dr. Spock’s Book: www.wikipedia.com
If, on the other hand, the matter is more personal and involves the carefree, disrespectful way some young women in society dress and carry themselves, some people blame it on feminists. Or it may be that women today have too much freedom or lack discipline as a result of the feminists’ movement. Does the problem go deeper than that though? How about a certain former pediatrician by the name of Dr. Benjamin Spock?
When his book, Baby And Child Care was first published in 1946, it soon became one of the all time best sellers. So much so that by 1998 it had sold more than 50 million copies and had been translated into 39 languages.
He indeed had a message for new and soon to be parents. His aim of the book was to inform these parents about a better way to raise their kids without being too strict.
He told them, in his book, ‘you know more than you think you do.’ For Dr. Spock studied psychoanalysis in an attempt to have a better understanding of children’s and family dynamics.
In a nutshell, he wanted parents to be more lenient and affectionate with their kids, but with all this leniency those parents practised, was it so much that they failed to enforce strict disciplinary rules of conduct?
Nowadays, one does not have to look too far for confirmation of that. Everything it seems, from the scanty way most young people dress to the disrespectful way they treat their elders, not to mention their peers reeks of lack of proper discipline.
Mention the word spanking in certain circles, and one may even receive a few strange glances from anyone within earshot.
Or worse yet, if a parent goes too far in spanking his/her kid that it leaves a mark, right away the Child Protective Services people are contacted.
The thing is, most kids today are aware of this. Something that does not add any weight to any disciplinary action any parent/guardian wishes to dole out.
For if kids know that a parent’s spanking should not be doled out to him/her to begin with for fear that parent may go too far, the kid has every right to pick up the telephone and contact the Child Protective Services him/herself.
So if this is what has been taking place in homes across the land, not much discipline is being doled out, thus giving kids somewhat of the upper hand.
It’s probably too late now to double back and enforce strict disciplinary rules, especially with all those child abuse laws firmly in place, but what’s a parent to do if he/she wants to raise a child who shows respect to him/herself and others?
Treat him/her with respect, for this Dr. Spock flexibility rule has already transended from one generation into the next. And it seems like it will continue along that path for a long time to come. Good luck to the future.
Source For Information on Dr. Spock’s Book: www.wikipedia.com
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