Originally Posted by Josiegirl:
Kids had a healthy appreciation, respect and maybe just a little bit of fear for authority figures. So they listened much more than today and I feel because of that, all hell's broke loose. Parents were more apt to follow through with threatened consequences. Now that hardly ever happens. Or parents speak before thinking and offer threats they know they cannot follow through with. Loss of all credibility happens then. Kids actually listened to their parents way back when. But kids still felt as if they mattered; discipline may have been handed out with a heavier hand but kids weren't juggled around between 100 different caregivers or babysitters just so parents could get their ME time which turns into free time for every single little thing. Why don't kids accompany parents to the store anymore?
Kids are screaming for attention and in doing so, are given very temporary solutions, a quick fix for the moment but it doesn't fix the problem of no time for a child that a parent chose to have.
Not only did kids listen and respected their parents back then, but they listened and respected almost all adults. Adults also didn't have to be "scared" of giving a child a consequence because of their actions. You messed up on the bus-your walking, you disrespected a teacher-to the principles office and you knew that was the better part because when you got home that was when the punishment really began, and the list could go on.