My grandmother always said, when they started making these child abuse laws, that’s when black children started losing their minds.
No wonder my mother believed that sparing the rod would spoil the child. Because of it, I am a very respectful young lady who knows how to carry herself at all times.
In many African cultures, children are viewed as a significant part of the culture and future. But children also know their place. Too many Black American children are ending up in the juvenile justice system and in the back of the classroom.
We need to educate and discipline our children. There are correct and an incorrect ways to do it.
You don’t beat a child on their head, back, face, chest or any area that is extremely sensitive. However, those buttocks and legs are made for a reason. Switches, belts, and wooden spoons serve more than one purpose.
You don’t beat a child when you are angry because you could potentially hurt the child. You are to chastise your child, not take your anger out on them. If you are angry, take a deep breath and calm yourself down. Once you are calm and your head is clear, you can effectively deal with the situation.
It is important to have a relationship with your child and not rely on beatings to do all the work. Remember discipline is not solely a beating: it is a mixture of methods.
“Although some types of punishment can be effective in making children behave, punishment alone is actually only one part of effective behavior control,” is advice offered in “Launching Our Black Children for Success: A Guide for Parents of Kids from Three to Eighteen.”
We must understand that the outcomes of whippings vary from child to child and parent to parent. Not every parent beats his or her child on an everyday basis. Therefore, children’s outcomes are different. Some children who are whipped grow up and become serial killers, some turn out just fine.