This is not really about movies
This past week I had watched more TV than usual. For some reason, I had chanced upon two movies that featured teenage characters and the nasty things they did. I caught the last hour or so of a movie about a group of fashion-forward but mean high school girls who repeatedly shamed one of their supposed girlfriends (the unfortunate girl -- whose character was smart, sensitive and pretty -- was the heroine who, thank God, toughened up in the end and stopped wanting to belong to the cruel bunch.
Now I can't remember the details of the other flick I saw (again, catching it somewhere in the middle), but it again revolved around the lives of teens and showed a variety of mean things these dudes can do to others. I know this is a movie so a lot of what's in it may be a distortion of reality. Still, I had taken so much of an interest in the whole matter of teen angst, bullying and the whole preoccupation with the "popular girls" and the seemingly unwritten rule concerning cafeteria tables reserved for "the cool ones" which kids like the "geeks and other weird ones" are barred from.
Such was my interest that I had been looking for a copy of "Mean Girls" all week -- that 2004 movie based on a sociological study on teen girls ("Queen Bees & Wannabes"), penned by Rosalind Wiseman. I'm not sure why exactly I want to watch it, but I've been so exposed lately to this whole idea of girls doing nasty things to their peers that I'd like to know more about it (and hopefully, come to understand it more).
Lest you think this post is about teen movies or nasty girls, let me get to the point. Seeing such demonstrations of hostility among teens -- even though it was only all part of a script -- made me realize how crucial discipline is. And I'm not talking about punishment. I'm talking about the kind of formation that parents can provide their kids. Then I remembered the materials from a family conference that I had been going over, some of which are quite relevant to the topic at hand.
From the paper titled "Stronger Fathers, Stronger Families":
In his book, Dare to Discipline, noted psychologist, Dr. James Dobson, clarifies the difference between discipline and punishment. "Punishment is something you do to a child; discipline is something you do for a child -- it may involve punishment, yes, but with a clear, loving purpose to correct the child's behavior." He instructs fathers that discipline is equated with instruction and formation; punishment is equated with a penalty for an offense; the latter is a method of instruction which seeks to instill and develop self-discipline.
While watching the movies I just described, I couldn't help but wonder, "Did the parents of these kids discipline them at all?" Parenting, for sure, is no walk in the park; if you're one of those who feel that you need to be better equipped so that you can do more for your child, I hope you find what you're looking for in this blog! More posts on parenting in the future, I assure you. =)
posted by sunnyday at 8:44 PM
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Now I can't remember the details of the other flick I saw (again, catching it somewhere in the middle), but it again revolved around the lives of teens and showed a variety of mean things these dudes can do to others. I know this is a movie so a lot of what's in it may be a distortion of reality. Still, I had taken so much of an interest in the whole matter of teen angst, bullying and the whole preoccupation with the "popular girls" and the seemingly unwritten rule concerning cafeteria tables reserved for "the cool ones" which kids like the "geeks and other weird ones" are barred from.
Such was my interest that I had been looking for a copy of "Mean Girls" all week -- that 2004 movie based on a sociological study on teen girls ("Queen Bees & Wannabes"), penned by Rosalind Wiseman. I'm not sure why exactly I want to watch it, but I've been so exposed lately to this whole idea of girls doing nasty things to their peers that I'd like to know more about it (and hopefully, come to understand it more).
Lest you think this post is about teen movies or nasty girls, let me get to the point. Seeing such demonstrations of hostility among teens -- even though it was only all part of a script -- made me realize how crucial discipline is. And I'm not talking about punishment. I'm talking about the kind of formation that parents can provide their kids. Then I remembered the materials from a family conference that I had been going over, some of which are quite relevant to the topic at hand.
From the paper titled "Stronger Fathers, Stronger Families":
In his book, Dare to Discipline, noted psychologist, Dr. James Dobson, clarifies the difference between discipline and punishment. "Punishment is something you do to a child; discipline is something you do for a child -- it may involve punishment, yes, but with a clear, loving purpose to correct the child's behavior." He instructs fathers that discipline is equated with instruction and formation; punishment is equated with a penalty for an offense; the latter is a method of instruction which seeks to instill and develop self-discipline.
While watching the movies I just described, I couldn't help but wonder, "Did the parents of these kids discipline them at all?" Parenting, for sure, is no walk in the park; if you're one of those who feel that you need to be better equipped so that you can do more for your child, I hope you find what you're looking for in this blog! More posts on parenting in the future, I assure you. =)
posted by sunnyday at 8:44 PM
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