A Singaporean family took up the challenge of housing two wayward Australian teenagers for a week, and to attempt to change the teenagers. The teenagers stayed with the family and participated in the family's activities. They had to adhere to the rules followed by the children and go to school with the children too.
The reality programme shown on Australian TV chronicles the struggles faced by the teenagers and the family. The teenagers found it very difficult to follow the rules while the family had to rein them in when they showed disobedience.
The irony is that after the project was over, it was the boy who made a change for the better. The girl became worse. People make the stereotypical assumption that the girl would respond positively instead, and it is such a pitiful disgrace to note the contrary result. It is heartening to note that the boy has expressed his filial love for his mother and has changed his bad habit of waking up late. Also, respectfulness was ingrained in both of them during the show. :)
A debate has ensued over this show as to the level of strictness parents should employ. I am glad that some youths actually agree that parents should be strict with their children so as to make them morally upright individuals. Indeed, children in the West are brought up too liberally and thus some become delinquents. I do acknowledge that some of the rules enforced in the programme are a little uncalled for, such as the banning of sleepovers. If they merely consist of girls, as initiated by the daughter for her friends to participate in, then such sleepovers are not wrong. Rules specifically for the sleepovers can still be imposed, such as no alcohol intake.
The rule about computers being installed in the living room for the parents to monitor their children's internet activities, is not unreasonable. If the children are allowed to have computers in their own bedrooms, then the parents will not be aware should they unintentionally visit adult-only websites, and the parents will not have the opportunity to explain the unhealthy nature of such websites to their children.
At the same time, R is not wrong in his opinion of the unnecessarily high level of strictness which may cause rebellion from children towards their parents in the later years. Sometimes, parents need to let their children fall down, learn what causes that fall and then climb back up with the knowledge that they should avoid that catalyst that had caused them to fall. In other words, they learn life's lessons in the hard way. It is heartbreaking for parents but the children learn the lessons better in this way.
I am also glad to note that some youths understand the difficulty of being parents, as they are unable to discern when to be strict or otherwise. They are human too and sometimes tough love can instill the fear of losing their children's love, in them as a result. All I can say is that they yearn to keep us safe in what they do, even if it borders on protectiveness.
Mr Daniel Koh puts it best when he expresses the fact that some parents are strict only towards their children's studies but not towards their moral upbringing, which is really far more important in helping them lead good lives. He cited physical punishment as a taboo however. This is something I beg to differ.Without such methods my parents used on me as a child, I would not have turned out to be who I am.
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