Chapter 7, Part IX: Chastised (True Story)

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n elementary school principal telephoned the parents of a student at the end of one school day to inform them that their son had brought a “knife” to school.? (It was a Boy Scout pocketknife which unbeknownst to the parents, had been taken to school to show a friend).

The principal explained that the pocketknife wasn’t noticed until the end of the day when a classmate asked what was in their son’s pocket.? When the child honestly replied, the classmate promptly reported it.

The principal was talking to the “offender” in the privacy of an internal office when the parent arrived.? The parent explained to the principal that a wooden spoon with which to spank the child had been brought along, since he had been told that if he got into trouble at school that was what would happen, and good parenting means being consistent.? As the youngster’s eyes filled with tears, the parent’s heart broke, but knew the spanking? was necessary. The principal said, “This is between the two of you,” and closed the door while exiting the office.? The parent pulled out a chair for the boy to lean over and provided him with ten swats on his “behind.”?

As the office door was opened to leave, the principal approached to return the pocketknife.? The parent explained that the principal was welcome to keep it, give it away, or throw it away, but a part of the son’s punishment would be that the pocketknife would not be returned.?

This should have been the end of the incident.? However, a couple of months later during a meeting of the school district advisory council, of which the parent was a member, a young substance abuse? counselor who was employed by a local hospital but worked in the school district (pregnant with her first child) spoke critically of a parent who had come to school to spank their child.? The counselor announced to all present that the parent had “beat him up right at school.”

The parent assumed that it wasn’t their family the counselor was speaking of since they do not “beat up” their children.? In an effort to bring balance to the discussion, and in defense of parents who responsibly spank (as opposed to an abusive beating) their child(ren,) the parent shared their recent and personal experience with their son and his Boy Scout pocketknife.?

The parent was totally SHOCKED when suddenly the counselor aggressively leaned toward her and said in a loud, demeaning tone, in front of all those attending the meeting, “you need to read–.”? The parent was so taken back that the name of the book wasn’t understood!!? (It’s interesting to observe childless “professionals” as they instruct experienced parents about how to raise and discipline their children.)

The parent stated to the advisory council? that, “there’s a difference between spanking? a child and beating him bloody.” A district director who was present said, “It’s cultural.? I guess there’s nothing we can do about it-it’s just cultural.”? The parent then asked, “This advisory council deals with substance abuse, but now we’re talking about spanking which deals more in the private realm of a family’s life.? Who says how far into the private life of a family we go?”? Another district administrator sincerely and honestly responded, “I guess we will.”?

Often we are instructed and expected to “celebrate cultural diversity.”? It seems almost discriminatory to refuse to tolerate the culture of those who responsibly use corporal punishment to correct their children, while tolerating other behaviors? which have historically been considered perverted.?

One university’s multicultural program provided an early childhood? program on the topic of same-sex parents.? See this book’s chapter titled “Early Childhood Education.”