Bondi Pete

Authoritative parenting, which I would favour too, is at odds with the corporal punishment you and others have been suggesting.

I am not opposed to the idea of punishment where necessary, but that does not equal inflicting physical pain, nor does it imply that techniques like shaming should be used (it would be counterproductive). There are plenty of alternatives and maybe a Google of authoritative parenting is required.

I do not resile from my call for diversionary activities.

For youth at risk diversionary programs offer a viable alternative for many.

Any parent who resorts to belting a kid has really lost it and should remove himself or herself from proximity to the child before things get out of hand.

Those who still believe that a 'clip around the ear' is good for children, should read about shaken child syndrome.

Cornflower,you have not addressed emotional abuse whereby teachers and parents can socially ostracise children by their authority with legal impunity,yet corporal punishment remains illegal.Corporal punishment does not pigeon hole or deride children socially,which can be totally soul destroying.

There is a vast difference between a smack by a conerned parent,and an enraged alcoholic taking out the frustrations of his/her own inadaquacies on some innocent child.It is time we let parents make the hard decisions that shape their childrens destinies and keep the legal disease out of our lives.

Arjay

Teachers who physically, emotionally or psychologically abuse students should face counselling and disciplinary action. Their colleagues would agree with that.

However there are problems at the other end of the scale too. Two first grade teachers at the local primary school assured me that they were afraid to put an arm around any of their young charges who was in need of reassurance or comforting, because they could be hauled before authorities by some overzealous, protective parent.

It so happens that both of these teachers were women with impeccable records (and they are teaching the children of children they taught previously), but if they were young men teachers I would still be outraged at the impact on us all of an increasingly litigious, PC society.

It seems that politicians and bureaucrats react to the noisy few in society who may know little about youth while the silent majority, preoccupied with living, only react when newspaper headlines claim problems exist.

Parents need to engage with local schools to support administrators and teachers. Surely an hour or so at the P&C is not too much to ask, even if voluntary work is not possible.

However it goes without saying that the parents of disruptive students are rarely seen working in the tuckshop.

I think many of today's problems go back to the 60s when parenting seemed to morph from parents who set firm boundaries to provide children with a sense of security, to parents who want to be their children's friend. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being you child's friend, especially with older children, but I don't think it should be the primary purpose of parenting. Parents are older than children and can make far reaching decisions that children just can't see, so sometimes there's nothing wrong with simply saying, I do know better; do what you're told.

Unfortunately most problems are to do with boys. I think there's lots of reasons for that. It's undeniable that 40 years of a relentless feminist attack on masculinity has had its impact. Some changes were necessary; others were gratuitous.

We seemed to have forgotten how to raise boys. That outdoor childhood with organisations who channelled boys' energy into constructive pursuits has been discredited by allegations of child abuse. The organisations themselves have been under assault by feminists. Look at the scouts, surf clubs, choirs, and many sporting organisations that have been modified to cater to girls. By catering to female tastes they're not always as attractive to boys.

The education system has been comprehensively feminised too. Curriculums, teaching methodologies, disciplinary methods have all been modified to better suit girls. It's no wonder boys are tuning out.

DADS OF THE WORLD, UNITE!
Has anyone noticed that many comments entitled "Parents" are really written about and/ or by, mothers?

Somehow generic parents are always mums.
Dads are usually left out of the picture or just the token comment is included.

Furthermore, few people venture to say anything bad about mums as a group. Yet there seem to be plenty of people wanting to slag off at dads. We have so many stories about deadbeat dads, delinquent dads, and so on.

I wonder how far this has gone in the devaluation of dads and the reduction in their authority?

Are feminists to blame? Or won't dads stand up for themselves? Are they all too busy working? Drinking in the pub? Couldn't give a rat's ass? They should care about the reduction in their authority.

Dads and Mums usually teach kids different skills. Mums teach about emotional connection, friendship, family things.

Dads teach about getting and keeping a job, buying property, all sorts of financial affairs, business ethics and so on.
But then all this may have changed in the last 50 years as the feminist revolution changed things. For the better, of course.

Like most issues that face us today, the kids rule is a diverse problem.
Yes, the break down of families is one major factor, along with the breakdown of communities.
The single parent, the working mother.
Anxieties, bolstered by the media, permeating every area of our lifes.
Advertising trying to define who we should are, how we should be living, making us feel incomplete and inferior.
Children’s bodies: adult sexuality.
Non-stop violence on our screens, isolation of children for protectionism.
Diets littered with chemical this, additive that.
I pity the poor child born to the unurtured world of today.