tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925433286286375425.post8098024833334059845..comments2023-10-11T05:21:52.402-04:00Comments on "Yes, We're Together.": Why I Spank Other People's KidsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925433286286375425.post-64673373920405908802011-01-17T19:11:01.859-05:002011-01-17T19:11:01.859-05:00@Aritul
Lol. Aww, you're too kind. Thank you...@Aritul<br />Lol. Aww, you're too kind. Thank you. I too hope to get more comments soon! <br /><br />Yes, shouting "I'm from St. Cloud, Minnesota yo!" might strike as a little odd. Lol. My uncle lives there and it's a very lovely town, but I'm not sure it carries much street-cred once a fight breaks out and it's on and poppin'!<br />I think the whole situation was the first time it really hit me how strongly our assumptions about discipline are formed through culture. I was raised by a village, all my family members were raised by a village, and my first-generation American classmates were raised by a village, so I just assumed everyone else was raised the same way! <br /><br />Although these days I wonder if approaches to discipline vary more based on economics than race or ethnicity. When my parents were in 1970s Boston with two small kids, they had a tight-knit community that watched over each other; not simply out of a sense of cultural norms, but also out of necessity. They were poor students who were full-time parents, full-time students, and full-time employees. They couldn't afford nannies or babysitters while they worked, or just stop by the overpriced Whole Foods hot bar to pick up dinner because they were too tired to cook after class or a graveyard shift.<br /><br />Fast-forward to 2011 Boston and I find that it's rare for people to depend on one another. Due to the sacrifices of our parents, we have the opportunites that give us the choice of being somewhat independent lone-rangers. I find few peers in the city that leave their children with peers, EVEN if those peers have children themselves. Many young(er) families move out of cities and urban areas for lack of a support system, and yet I wonder if our own economic and educational attainment makes it easier for us to live as "islands" and harder for us to let other people "spank" our kids. But as my momma always told me growing up: "No man is an island.""Yes, We're Together"https://www.blogger.com/profile/04560177598410439070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5925433286286375425.post-70549442231302899442011-01-17T02:29:55.559-05:002011-01-17T02:29:55.559-05:00Whaaat? No comments! This was a good post. The ...Whaaat? No comments! This was a good post. The title caught me off guard and made me chuckle, but I like the sentiment that I believe lies behind it--raising children is a community activity. If you see a child going astray, then you should try to correct him and set him on the right course.<br />And as for bringing up your hometown, totally understand. Sometimes it makes you look tougher. Now, if you're from Malibu or Beverly Hills, perhaps you might want to keep that under wraps in a situation such as this.<br />But again, nice post.Aritulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01687717613812613840noreply@blogger.com