Parenting and Discipline Problems Over 50 Years
I’ve been reading articles about parenting for fifty years, including articles written long before I was born. In 1940 and in 1982 public school officials were asked what the top discipline problems were in their schools.
Here are the problems listed for 1942: talking, chewing gum in class, making noise, running in the halls, getting out of turn in line, wearing improper clothing, not putting paper in the wastebasket
These are the problems listed for 1982: rape, robbery, drugs, assault, burglary, arson, bombings, murder, suicide, absenteeism, vandalism, extortion, alcohol, gang warfare, pregnancy, abortion, venereal disease
Here are the problems most reported now, in 2021, by parents and teachers:
- Whining, anger, arguing, being right, pathologic selfishness, defiance
- Serious addiction to phones, games, porn, social media, physical appearance
- Depression, cutting, suicidal thoughts, chronic anxiety
- ADHD
- Addiction to alcohol and drugs, including prescription drugs
- Lack of responsibility
- Gender confusion
Parenting Problems Now Didn't Exist Before
Many of the problems we encounter with children now did not exist even twenty years ago. Smartphones did not exist, but now they’re everywhere, spreading every lie, distortion, distraction, expression of anger, and confusion at the speed of light.
We have to keep up with the proliferation of detractions from the unhappiness of our children, and we’re not doing that well.
We don’t have to fight every fire. It’s much easier to simply love our children, teach them to be loving, and teach them to be responsible, which results in happy children. Happy children don’t find the need to indulge in all the behaviors and attitudes listed above.
Devour the Parenting Training, and then do it again, sharing it with your children as much as possible. Do not allow your children to grow up defenseless in a world that will consume them without a thought.
