I have no problem with discipline. I think it absolutely necessary (more so for some kids than others). I think the children who only sit in "time out" and are never told no are the ones who are terrors to be around.

I say perhaps because of the word - ultimately - I think it is primarily - or should be - I think, as I tried to point out late in the article, there are many parents who had poor parents and they are following in those steps.

Parenting a child is not just the toughest job, it holds more responsibility than any other job - even leader of a country.

Thanks for you comments, they are really appreciated.

Ultimately we, as parents, have to take responsibility for the actions of our children. While our kids are all individuals, and are born that way, we're the ones charged with instilling a strong moral code in them. Helping a child understand not only what is right, but also to do the right thing, is essential. The onus is also on us to demonstrate that through our own actions.

maybe it looks like teens are not heading anywhere but there are others teens that are still on the right way .. so need not to worry much

This is another time I'm glad I teach outside of the major cities. You get a few disrespectful kids and stuff, no doubt about that, but most of them are good kids at heart and genuinely feel shame when they realise they've been disrespectful to people they like and admire.

From my experiences, anyway.

Hi - There was a programme on the tele about two years ago which showed a primitive tribe in South America. They chose not to hit their children - so children never saw any violence. Their children were so well behaved, good mannered and just lovely and helpful. Perhaps, if children of today didn't see quite so much violence then none of us would need or want to punish them!

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Great post and comments are great, too. Lack of respect in this country boils down to:

1) no knowledge of God in the culture, and therefore there is no sense of personal and national accountability

2) public schools being social engineering camps and teach evolution which in turn teaches the children: see #1

3) the television is a moral wasteland.

4) Dads and Moms do not raise the children because they are too busy working to pay for the high taxes and live a materialistic lifestyle (see #1).

I do agree that there are a lot of well mannered children and their are a lot of decent parents who are trying their best to raise children to do the right thing.

Unfortunately we are now starting to see the second and third generations of children with parents who seem to have a chip on their shoulder and very little respect for anyone - not even their own children.

I tend to think that part of the problem with the children today goes directly back to the fact that Mom and Dad both are out earning a living now. There was a time when it just took Dad working to put food on the table and roof over his families heads.... Not so any more.

The single parent homes have become the rule in our society. No matter how well adjusted and polite the children of a broken home are, they learn pretty fast how to work both sides to get what they want.

I do agree with you though I too thing that we have gone past the point of return. In all fairness there are still some children out there that are respectfull, caring, and well mannered. We just don't hear about them often enough.

That's right you spare spanking children, that itself spoils them. School is the second home for anyone. What we learn at school we imitate at home.

I agree with you completely what ever happened to "spare the rod and spoil the child" I got spanked as a child and I spanked my children and we turned our pretty good.