Spare the rod and spoil the child!

Editor, A decade ago, my mom went to visit one of my brothers in Britain and was rudely introduced to the modern regime where children now reign unopposed. My nephew was then attending kindergarten where the impressionable tots had already been indoctrinated in the art of spying and reporting “child abuse” in their homes. My nephew came home and threatened his parents with the police -- if they dared to discipline him. Something that most African parents now have to do behind closed bathroom doors with the shower running full blast to mask the yelling protests of their democratic children. Unfortunately our mom is another old-fashioned teacher who believes in the liberating gospel of bamboo canes. So grandmother calmly placed the little boy on her lap and pinched his bottom hard, then she dared him to call the police. “What will you do when the police come to arrest you” demanded the still defiant little boy? “I will discipline them too and from now onwards you better behave yourself and obey your parents otherwise I will come back from Africa and discipline you again together with your police friends”, my mom retorted. My nephew’s eyes widened at the mental image of his grandmother caning a six-foot-plus policeman. He was visibly impressed and for the rest of their stay in Britain his favourite slogan became “my grandma from Africa is so tough that she even beats the huge policemen”. A slogan which earned him deep respect from his peers who knew better than to mess with him or risk being disciplined by the ‘wild’ grandmother from Africa. Margaret.Maringa@carefirst.com

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Spare the rod and spoil the child!