READER LETTER | Discipline erratic teens with love and care

The word “ama 2000” is every parent’s nightmare with their wayward, erratic and mischievous behaviour.

This generation of teenagers is known for being troublesome and unruly.

Disciplining a child is never a pleasant experience but it has to be done, not sometimes, but all the time. Failing to do so will result in our kids running berserk all over the place like headless chickens if not like stringless kites.

At the end of the day kids are kids and deserve love, close attention, monitoring, assessment and evaluation or else they will be lost cause just like sheep without a shepherd.

It’s common knowledge that these youths are faced with socio-economic challenges such as peer pressure, teen pregnancies, inappropriate dressing, public indecency, drug- substance abuse and alcoholism just to mention a few as the list is endless.

They must understand that there is more to life than binge drinking and smoking.

On a lighter note, without taking anything away from these brilliant, incredibly amazingly talented youngsters, they are technologically advanced and smarter than us the parents. They are in a league of their own and live in their own world.

Despite all the negativity, these are our children whom we are obligated to shower and pamper with undivided, unequivocal support and unconditional and endless love.

Many parents would concur with my sentiments that abolishment of corporal punishment made things even harder when it comes to disciplining and reprimanding a child.

Always remember that the government is only interested in making rules and doesn’t care about our children’s wellbeing and welfare.

These are our children or aren’t they?

Spare the rod, spoil the child.

McDivett Khumbulani Tshehla, KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga