Nigerian author, Reno Omokri seems to have answered a question bothering Nollywood actress, Ruth Kadiri.
It could be recalled that the actress asked if it’s okay for parents to flog their children.
“Is it okay for parents to flog their kids!! And why?” She asked.
Taking to his Instagram page, Reno Omokri disagreed with the belief that children need to be beaten as a corrective and disciplinary measure.
According to him, beating a child has never led to discipline, rather it instills fear in the child.
The author added that if beatings truly worked as a corrective and disciplinary measure, Africa will have the most well-behaved adults.
In his words;
“Beating children has never led to discipline. But it always leads to fear. And Scripture says ‘perfect love casts out fear’-1 John 4:18. Consult child psychologists about this.
They will tell you beating either hardens children or makes them timid. Many children who bed wet, were beaten. And bed wetting and animal cruelty are linked to a higher likelihood of adult criminality.
It is called the Macdonald triad. If you want your children to turn out well, punish them when they misbehave by temporarily depriving them of things you know they want, and reward them when they behave.
If you regularly reward children for good behaviour, they will hardly display bad behaviour, because they become addicted to the rewards they get when they behave well. It is like you.
You do not go to work out of fear. You go because you anticipate a reward-salary. I have read Scripture in the original language and ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’-Proverbs 13:24 is a proverb.
It is not meant to be taken literally! You did not turn out well because your parents beat you. How many beatings did Elon Musk parents give him?”
