There is no way on God’s beautiful, green Earth that I won’t get a response on this one.

Recently, I was having a conversation with some friends and the topic of disciplining one’s children came up. Now I’m not a parent, but just like everyone, I have an opinion on the subject.

I believe that a child deserves to learn right from wrong at the earliest age of comprehension. And thats a lot earlier than most people think. Children as young as 5 or 6 months understand the concept of “no”. But sometimes “no” just ain’t enough. That’s when a firm tagging of the hindquarters comes into play. Now, I’m not saying beat your babies like they’re adults. That’s abuse. And I’m not saying knock your child around anytime they do something wrong. That’s extreme. What I am saying is, teach your children how to act before they go out in public.

When I was younger, my father made sure I knew who was boss. If I cut up at home, I got my ass busted. If I cut up in public, he found interesting ways of making sure I knew I was out of line. There is one instance that comes to mind. I was about 5 or 6 and we were in the grocery store. As we walked down the aisle, something caught my attention. Just like any child I begged and pleaded for what I wanted. When my numerous requests were turned down, I did the only logical thing a child can do. I threw a temper tantrum in the middle of the aisle. My father asked me nicely to get up and follow him, and of course, I didn’t. So he walked to deli section, asked for a cup of cold water and came back and threw it in my face. Everybody has had cold water thrown upon their face unexpectedly, so we all know how I reacted. Once I came back to my senses, I got up and followed my father to the checkout line and we left. Obviously, that made an impression. And it goes without saying that was the last temper tantrum I threw in public.

But back to my subject…

We need to find ways to instill in our children that kind of discipline. Our children need to fear us. I’m not saying that your children should walk around on eggshells in fear that you might snap and kill them, but they need to understand that there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed in every situation and environment. That’s what helps them to become adults that understand that is a line that shouldn’t be crossed in every situation and environment.

I’ll use myself as an example. I’m 29 years of age (soon to be 30). I’m respectful when the situation calls for it (another thing my father taught me was to show no respect when none is being shown to you), I’ve never been in any major trouble with the law (that’s because my father made sure I knew that I would sit in jail because he wouldn’t bail me out), and I assume responsibility for my own actions.

I’m not saying that I’m perfect (at least not right now) nor am I saying that my father was perfect parent. But my father made sure that he put “the fear of God” in me. I knew not to do anything that my father wouldn’t approve of me doing, solely because I didn’t want to face the repercussions of my actions. And that’s what children need today! You don’t have to always put your hands on your children to make them feel your presence. At some point in time, it should only take a look. But it might take you some years and few ass beatings to get to that point.

So in closing, don’t be afraid to put your hands on your children! It might be what’s best for them!