Discipline - The Parental Stimulus Package

Parents - are you tired of your 26 year old kid with the Masters degree living in your basement with no job? Parents - are you tired of your six year old pitching fits in the middle of sprawl-mart that make you wish you could literally stick duct tape over their mouths?

Mama and the Conservative Liberal would like to introduce all of you parents to an excellent stimulus package. As a matter of fact she agrees with Mama that the best way to save the nation in the future is to start working on it now. What does that consist of?

It consists of parents stopping the nonsense of being their child's "friend" and realize that they are the parent. It consists of parents realizing that discipline is a good thing. Would you just let your dog pee in the floor? No, not if you are a normal, sane person. Would you just let a dog bite your kid on the leg? No, not if you were a good parent.

So, America, the question is why aren't you parenting? This Mama and the Conservative Liberal did not give birth to your children and as such....we do not wish to be subjected to ill tempered, misbehaving, self-centered brats in public. Yes, Mama and the Conservative Liberal both understand that melt downs happen. Sometimes that two year old just will not stop crying. That does not mean that you beat them in the middle of the store...but you do take them out of the store and you leave your stuff behind. Mama does not care if it makes extra work for you...if you had them, you need to raise them. If they are old enough to know right from wrong you have two choices - remove them from the situation or do not be afraid to exercise your parental control in public. Mama is not above swatting a behind in public and neither should you if the situation warrants it.

Think of it this way - disciplining your children gives them moral and ethical responsibilities. Do you want a self-centered child choosing your nursing home or do you want a rational, compassionate adult child choosing your nursing home?

Moral of the story - do not be above disciplining your child in public. Mama agrees that not all children respond to the same type of discipline. Spanking is not child abuse, but you do not spank for every single offense. Yet time out does not work for every single offense; neither does grounding. In short, get to know your child and discipline accordingly.

What does it take to get to know your child? Spend time with them. By spending time with them you build a relationship with them. Mama does not agree that quality will necessarily beat quantity. Do you really think they are going to remember the one time you took them to the amusement park or the fifteen times you played Slap Jack with them while they were sick with strep throat?

So just how does one discipline after getting to know their child? The answer is not simple as there are many forms of discipline. One my precious little sweetums responds better to grounding and one responds better to time out. The key to ensuring a better next generation that will not run our country into the ground is follow through. Do not just say, "You get over here or I'll....." You go get them and you follow through.

Mama's experienced one too many parents look at her in church and say, "How do you get my child to mind you so well? They don't listen at home." They key is follow through. If Mama gives a warning and tells a child if they do it again there will be a consequence (such as a naughty spot or not getting to color) then Mama follows through. Sure they will test you...but you've been here longer......so you better have more will power.

Parents! Parents! Parents! Discipline is your friend. There's nothing wrong with making a child feel good and praise them. That's part of the stimulus plan for a better nation. Children must know that you approve of them or that they have done a good time, but don't lie to them. The problem with the feel good generation is that they think they are good at something when, in reality, they suck. We, as Americans, cannot compete with the Japanese or other advanced nations if we continue to just pet and praise instead of poke and prod.

Ghandi (pick a spelling...Mama found two on the 'net...Gandhi and Ghandi) said that we should become the change we want to see. Do you want your children to react with more patience and self control? Then show them how by being a good example instead of medicating them into oblivion. Medication is not discipline and should only be used after many, many, many opinions, visits, and consistent follow through.

Mama suggests that you should read the following books:

How To Behave So Your Children Will Too

The Bible (Mama thinks that you would be surprised to find the great parenting advice in there...regardless of whether or not you are a Christian)

Short of it - if you want a national stimulus package that will work for generations to come....be a parent instead of a friend. They will have plenty of friends...they will have only one set of parents.