See a good child? Thank the parents.

by Mouser the King Cat

Deana Chadwell teaches writing at Pacific Bible College in Oregon, where many south of Portland actually open Bibles regularly. At her blog, A Single Window, she tries to explain why the world has become so rotten. She blames it on parenting. (Having been neutered early, I’ll plead innocent.)

Ms. Chadwell: What baby has ever given a rip that his mother hasn’t had a full night’s sleep since he was born? What two-year-old goes sweetly off to her nap because she knows Mommy needs some quiet time? Children need to be taught, sternly and consistently, to put others first.

She goes on: If our children aren’t trained out of their natural tendencies we end up with mobs of teenagers terrorizing mall shoppers, having sex at school (sometimes with the teacher, because that generation doesn’t know any better either), and destroying any learning that might be able to happen in a classroom.

Her essay is much broader; let’s concentrate on this slice. The percentage of spoiled brats in America grows each generation, and Ms. Chadwell has pinpointed the reason. For some, parental discipline has gone out of style, even in the home. In too many cases, only one parent lives there. (My assistant recently saw the saddest sight: father and teenage daughter having lunch on a Saturday, both never taking their eyes off their cellphones.)

Another factor NEVER discussed is that even routine discipline of a child in public, if reported by a busybody, might result in said child being seized by the state and put in a foster home. Public masters (once known as public servants) have become more comfortable with such Soviet-style moves, and they never apologize even when shamed on TV.

When you see those who have raised clear-thinking, respectful and productive human beings, salute their contribution to mankind.