BACK TO BASE: THE DISAPPEARING VIRTUE OF DISCIPLINE

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A friend recently asked me, “What is gradually disappearing in our society?” I paused to think deeply, but her answer caught me , discipline. The more I reflected on it, the more I realized how right she was. Discipline is quietly fading, and the rise in moral decadence is becoming more alarming by the day.

Back in the day, when an elder spoke, a child would listen and obey immediately, no questions asked. But now, a child may boldly question you or ignore your instructions entirely. Respect for elders and authority figures has become almost negotiable.

I recall a childhood memory that still sits fresh in my mind. My parents once instructed me not to join my friends at the stream to fetch water, but I disobeyed. On my return, my father didn’t say a word. In fact, he acted as though I hadn’t done anything wrong. I felt relaxed and proud, like a lizard basking in the sun. But by 9 p.m., just when I was about to sleep, my father entered the room and asked me why I went against his instruction. Right there and then, I knew my case had reached the final level. He asked me to lie flat on the bed, brought out his cane, and let’s just say the rest is history. That day, I learned a lesson that stayed with me.

But nowadays, children blatantly disobey their parents and carry that same attitude to school. Some even attempt it with their teachers. If we’re honest with ourselves, the root often begins from the home. The disciplinary style of the 80s and 90s is slowly dying out.

There was a time when any adult in the community could correct and discipline a child, and no parent would take offense. But try correcting someone’s child today, and you’ll have the parents storming your doorstep, ready for a showdown. Even in schools, many teachers hesitate to discipline their learners. Why? Because they’re unsure of the reaction they might face from the parents or even the school administration.

I can also remember my high school days when the fear of some of our teachers was the beginning of wisdom. Back then, a teacher would discipline you. If you went home to report without giving any serious reason why you were punished, then your parents would punish you again at home. But try that in this modern era, and hell will let loose.

We were in the assembly hall one morning back in high school. A parent came with his son, told the teacher that the child disobeyed at home, and that he wanted to punish him in front of the students so that others could learn. We were shocked, but the man flogged the boy there in our presence. Now the question is, how many parents can still do that?

If today’s parents do not revisit and adapt the firm yet loving discipline of previous generations to suit our modern children, this Gen Z and the upcoming batch , then morals might crumble completely in the next 10 to 15 years. In fact, with what I’m seeing these days, it may not even take that long.

Let’s talk, use the cane when necessary. The Bible didn’t mince words when it said, "Spare the rod and spoil the child." That scripture knew exactly what it was saying.

Because the things I’m seeing these days, ehn… make I no talk too much.

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