At least I don’t have a shamrock-shaped scar on my ass. 
6 Likes
I am from an era where teachers here in Taiwan could still hit kids at will from elementary to high school. I got teachers who whipped me with a stick, a steel stir fry spatula, and many other everyday tools. I’ve also got one that bit me and pushed a ball pen into the back of my hand so hard that it penetrated skin, and she did that more than once.
Back in those days, high school kids beating their teacher would make the news several times a year.
4 Likes
But I pictured you as a model student… 
Apparently telling her light doesn’t always travel in straight lines was too much of a challenge to her authority.
You can be a giant nerd and get punished for it by your teacher, whereas in the US you just get punished by your peers.
5 Likes
Ah, yes. One of those teachers.
The purpose of parenting is to make your children socially desirable. They don’t just learn to do that themselves.
Taiwan isn’t perfect but you don’t have kids running around with knives and join gangs like here in the UK. In all of the countries I’ve lived in, I would rate the parenting here the worst I’ve seen. Kids are so misbehaved here and parents seem to take on the attitude that they’re just kids. Yes they’re kids, it’s your job to teach them to become adults. They don’t just switch their whole mindset and attitude magically at 18 
The UK is screwed. The education system is a joke here, as good as the higher education here is, most of the strong students are foreign from my experience.
9 Likes
The education system is a joke everywhere.
2 Likes
Indeed. Private or homeschool is the way.
1 Like
Don’t blame the education system.
School teaches subjects.
Parents teach values.
Take their phones away.
2 Likes
Didn’t a teacher get killed by an angry student in class ten or so years back?
1 Like
The nuns in my grade schools would use wooden rulers on your knuckles.
“Out with your hands… now… out with your hands…” WHACK! (quicker than a gun drawn)
99% of students maybe only had it done once or twice. Lesson well learned.
Father only used the belt once or twice.
Mom would always warn us to behave, or “I’ll tell your father about this when he gets home”. Threats usually worked better.
Soap in the mouth for swearing (once or twice), but that was for hard-core words like s— or f—.
They both apologized to us when we were all adults, but we said it actually wasn’t as bad as they might have thought.
Other parents, like the father of my wife, well, he really did it… a lot. That was just too much. Amazing that wife and her brother grew up to be normal people.
4 Likes
True. So, where is the thread for international parenting fails?
2 Likes
l hated the strictness of my father, and early on l recognized it as a weakness, or lack of knowledge about parenting (and he was a school principal no less) or him having mental problems or a combination of the above. Then and now I found/find it completely unnecessary, he could have had so much more success with us using patience, love, and understanding.
My fear and anger is still there even if rationally I have processed it. Love your children and respect them. Punishment is a sign of disrespect and lack of love. Kids don’t respect you? Earn that respect, don’t try to beat it into them. It never works.
7 Likes
These are pretty good odds for teachers, given how common abuse was lol.
2 Likes
Thats really a good way to word it. For sure, very accurate. It is way easier to teach than to punish and gaurd.
2 Likes
I had to look that up.
1 Like
That’s a rumour. They had an argument for issues relating to inheritance/the arsonist lowlife’s gambling problem.
2 Likes
Guy
I don’t see parenting issues as being a Taiwan issue… I’ve made so many mistakes as a parent. I’ve also done some things right. Don’t beat, hit, shout at kids as it just shows them that violence is the answer. Be firm with the rules and teach them they are as good as anyone else on this planet. Tell them they are good enough and accept them for who they are. Help them find things they like to do. Give them some chores to do and let them help you cook dinner. Teach them compassion.
8 Likes