SHE SPARED THE ROD
I remember on two different occasions how I walked into my neighbor's house and heard her talking about how her son misbehaves all the time and wouldn't heed to her advice. At first, I thought it was a minor issue until I asked her what his offence was. My neighbour responded by showing me a torn certificate.
I did not understand what was going on so I asked her to explain. She told me her son tore his elder sister's certificate just because she offended him. The first thing that I could do after hearing that was to walk up to him and slap him. The boy rose his hand in an attempt to hit me also. I got furious and wanted to hit him the more.
But you know the funny thing, his mother, my neighbour only talked with her mouth.
My neighbour is a single parent with two kids. I told her that she should sometimes correct the boy with canes but she told me she doesn't like beating children. I told her it's not like she's maltreating them but it is better to correct them with cane sometimes.
After that day, I kept hearing her complain about the boy's character and misbehavior over and again. The boy was growing into a very insolent and naughty young man. Most times the neighbours complain about his inhumane attitude. His behaviour was really getting to the entire neighborhood.
One day, we were relieved when we heard that he has gained admission into tertiary institution. Little did we know that he was going to a place that will bring out the worst in him. It wasn't even up to two months when reports started getting to his parent that he has joined cultism in school and that he is on everybody is neck. Funny enough, my neighbour took it as nothing. She'd always say that anything her son is doing, he's doing it for himself.
But she didn't raise him well. Yes, I'm saying it because she has never for once flogged the boy when he was much younger and easier to correct. SHE SPARED THE ROD. Just one year in school, Tom as he was called was already a dropout that never left school. He was still hanging around, constituting a nuisance. People started using him as a subject of ridicule to the mother. It was really getting serious.
One day, my neighbour came to me to ask how and what she can do to help her son. She pleaded that she needs a solution to the problem. But for real, it was only God who could change the young man at that point. She sent messages severally asking the boy to return home so she wouldn't die of heart attack.
God himself wasn't foolish when he said we should train up a child in the way he should go, and when he's old, he's never gonna depart. Tom was never given any cool training. His mother was not doing him any good by sparing the rod and spoiling him. It's not maltreatment, it's training and discipline for a better future.
Please when it's necessary, use the rod. It will not kill the child. Rather, it will do him more good than harm. Thank you for your audience! Steem on!