Tough love: do your children a favour

I stole this from The Telegraph.

I've found myself saying to my husband what joy our silly-stage nine-year-old is bringing us. Every day.

The proof of the pudding is when he turns 13, 15, etc, really. Meanwhile I am finding great joy in watching him grow up slowly but surely in learning to be more and more independent and learning greater responsibility with each passing day.

This article reminded me of "the cane".

When growing up in Singapore, "the cane" was ubiquitous in households with young children.

This was usually hung up high on a hook on a wall in the living room.

Do/Did parents use the cane?

Of course.

But only once.

The cane, when properly used, needs to be used only once, if at all, in the life-time of a child.

Before that, parents and carers would point and say, if you misbehave, disobey or did something that might endanger yourself or someone else, the cane will be used.

After it had been used -- once, if at all -- parents point at the cane and say, "Remember that cane? We don't want to have to use it again."

Did I use the cane on my nine-year-old?

I'll elaborate in my next post. I am too tired to write at the moment.

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