Forlorn.of.thee (fa'lo:n ŭv thē), p, my only strength and stay,forlorn of thee, whither shall I betake me, where subsist?
Paradise Lost by John Milton
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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Cottonwool Kids and Spoilt Brats

Reading Annie's blog, made me wonder how far we've come...

"PINT-SIZED crash helmets, baby- wipe warmers, baby GPS units, temporary tattoos with mum's mobile number and food allergy warnings". We protect, mollycoddle, teach them to walk away from fights. We let them have their way, throw tantrums at the supermarket, buy them the latest toys and gadgets and more...

What happened to the sound smack when they misbehave? Where's the biff in the school playground?

Even schools now eschew corporal punishment and teachers have one less behavioral motivator. I recall being hauled up at assembly (in front of the whole school and feeling the cane), standing in the corner of the classroom, arms outstretched holding weighty tomes and running round the quad. It probably made me a better person.

Was in church on Sunday for a little quiet reflection but alas there was this couple letting their kid run amok, not just in the aisle but climbing all over the altar. Yea, Jesus may love little kids but I could have throttled that monkey...