I don’t know all the facts but it was obvious her son was not a child but a teen. I’m sure the mother had a reason for hitting her son and he may have even deserved it if his response to his mother was belligerent and/or disrespectful. But the problem is her actions were not a form of punishment as slapping and pulling hair is an assault and the officer did his job. She didn’t try to spank him, she assaulted him but I would like to believe the mother still loves her son very much.
After raising children of my own and helping to raise thousands of other people children I would like to offer this bit of wisdom in child rearing. Spare the rod (switch or belt) and you will spoil the child — meaning you should use corporal punishment while they are a CHILD, not a teenager because if they haven’t gotten it by the time they are a teenager more than likely they are going to have to learn the HARD WAY! You don’t use any form of physical punishment once the child becomes a teen — it is too late.
I have seen too many students in my classroom that didn’t get the proper home training to respect others, especially adults and they had very poor socialization skills. This is due to a lack of discipline and home training— if they can get away with anything at home they will try the same thing away from home. Children need to be taught to be SELF disciplined and you won’t have to discipline them when they become a teen. In fact, if you show them true love in your discipline efforts they WON’T let you down once they become of age. Show a child the way she/he should grow up when she/he is young and they won’t stray far from the example you have set.
I can still remember the spankings I got as a child after my mother took over the job because my father accidently hit me in the face with his belt from me jumping around so much. But what my mother did was wait until me and my brother were in bed and she would come in and sit on our backs over the edge of the bed leaving all our rear end open to her pleasing. The amazing thing was she would say stuff like “why are you making me do this to you, you know this hurts me more than its hurts you, you know I love you and you are making me punish you, stop making me do this to you” and she would go on until the last hit on my butt. It was a punishment of love that made me not-want to do anything to make my mother upset and not out of fear for the spanking but the fear of hurting my mother’s feelings.
The teachings in the Bible are the correct way to raise a child, so don’t be afraid to use the rod while they are a child and you don’t have to hit that hard. Disciplining a child is more of a psychological phenomenon than physical as a skilled psychological spanking can serve the same purpose but the average parent is not well versed on “reverse psychology methodology.” But I have heard some stories about the cow tail. The rod may not be acceptable to everyone but I can tell you it WORKED for me and I have even learned to appreciate the spankings I got from my mother because she never assaulted me- just applied some tough love.
I never had to spank any of my children pass the third grade. So parents, if you want a good child to grow up that will always have respect for you and others then start teaching them while they are a child because it is too late to try and beat it into them once they become a teen. I hope this bit of wisdom will help some parents and I truly wish the mother and son in the altercation the best in the future and anyone that wants to argue and get ugly with me on this in the news you need to know you will be arguing with Bible’s teaching, not me.
AMBROSE M. BENNETT
Kagman, Saipan
