Hooray for Tasha Henderson
An Oklahoma mother is taking heat for proactively addressing her daughters failing grades, bad behavior at school, and lack of concern for her education. In order to get 14-year old Coretha's attention, she made her stand on a busy street corner, wearing a placard that read: "I don't do my homework and I act up in school, so my parents are preparing me for my future. Will work for food."
I absolutely applaud this family's concern and love for their child that they will do what it takes to make sure Coretha doesn't end up on the street for real. I'm sure it was humiliating for Coretha, but it should be pointed out that this was not a case of the little girl being dumped off on the street. Tasha Henderson was by her side.
While there were certainly mixed messages from bystanders, including a telephone call to police, citing "psychological abuse," the results have been positive.
Unfortunately, too many "professionals" are telling parents that punishment and correction will "damage the child's self-esteem." What a load of pucosh! What damages a child's self-esteem is when he flunks out of school, gets busted for possession and spends the better part of his life in the slammer...all because the parents didn't want to damage his self-esteem.
If more people were like the Hendersons, education would be up, crime would be down, and kids would be much less likely to end up on the streets or in the morgue.
Who gets the last word? Regrettably, it's usually someone like Donald Wertlieb, a professor of child development at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University:
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1 (NIV)
Looks like other bloggers agree.
I absolutely applaud this family's concern and love for their child that they will do what it takes to make sure Coretha doesn't end up on the street for real. I'm sure it was humiliating for Coretha, but it should be pointed out that this was not a case of the little girl being dumped off on the street. Tasha Henderson was by her side.
While there were certainly mixed messages from bystanders, including a telephone call to police, citing "psychological abuse," the results have been positive.
Tasha Henderson said her daughter's attendance has been perfect and her behavior has been better since the incident.I agree with Marvin Lyle, a 52 year-old bystander who said, "I don't see anything wrong with it. I see the other extreme where parents don't care what the kids do, and at least she wants to help her kid." That's right, Marvin. That there were more parents like the Hendersons.
Coretha, a soft-spoken girl, acknowledged the punishment was humiliating but said it got her attention. "I won't talk back," she said quietly, hanging her head.
She already has been forced by her parents to give up basketball and track because of slipping grades, and said she hopes to improve in school so she can play next year.
Unfortunately, too many "professionals" are telling parents that punishment and correction will "damage the child's self-esteem." What a load of pucosh! What damages a child's self-esteem is when he flunks out of school, gets busted for possession and spends the better part of his life in the slammer...all because the parents didn't want to damage his self-esteem.
If more people were like the Hendersons, education would be up, crime would be down, and kids would be much less likely to end up on the streets or in the morgue.
Who gets the last word? Regrettably, it's usually someone like Donald Wertlieb, a professor of child development at the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at Tufts University:
[Wertlieb] warned that such punishment could do extreme emotional damage. He said rewarding positive behavior is more effective.Certainly, rewarding good behavior is an important part of child-rearing, but the problem is that so many people follow the advice of "experts" like Professor Wertlieb that there is rarely opportunity to "catch them being good" because there is no discipline to encourage it.
"The trick is to catch them being good," he said. "It sounds like this mother has not had a chance to catch her child being good or is so upset over seeing her be bad, that's where the focus is."
"Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid." Proverbs 12:1 (NIV)
Looks like other bloggers agree.
Labels: David C. Price
posted by DAVID C. PRICE at 11/16/2005 09:30:00 PM
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2 Comments:
"The trick is to catch them being good."
I'll say. Especially if we're talking about a defiant middle-schooler. I had one of those. There was a short but memorably taxing period when "catching" her being anything but mouthy, disrespectful, disobedient, or lying through her teeth could have occurred only when she was asleep. If this mother's brilliant idea had occurred to me back then, I'd have employed it in a heartbeat.
Catching kids being good may be effective before the hormones kick in, but the landmines of puberty can blow it to smithereens if it's the only parenting tool that's ever used.
Good words...thanks.
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