Traditional Family Values

For or against traditional family values? A very interesting question, and also very important. I decided to research a little, in order to gain more understanding into this subject. So, I looked at Wikipedia (please don’t be like my teachers and say that Wikipedia cannot count as a good enough source).

Wikipedia gave three definitions of traditional family values, the first being from Dictionary.com, the second from the Merriam-Webster, and the last from an Oxford Dictionary.

• “the moral and ethical principles traditionally upheld and passed on within a family, as fidelity, honesty, truth, and faith.”

• “values especially of a traditional or conservative kind which are held to promote the sound functioning of the family and to strengthen the fabric of society.”

• “values held to be traditionally taught or reinforced within a family, such as those of high moral standards and discipline.”

I’m immediately struck by these definitions; so, traditional family values are good things! They are principles that include fidelity (the state or quality of being faithful), honesty, truth, and faith. All very important things! Especially if we look at today’s society. Or, look at me: I have trust issues. I don’t trust people, because they can lie too easily.

Our society has a lack of honesty, truth, faith, etc. And so I withdraw. Because I hate being lied to, and I hate people that are disloyal.

The second definition puts these values as being a promotion for “the sound functioning of the family and to strengthen the fabric of society.” If you have a family, you know how terrible it is when you do not get along with them. Without these principles, we are more likely to not get along with our family, or other people, for that matter.

The third definition includes high moral standards and discipline. Discipline can be defined as either a noun or a verb. As a noun it means (using only the definitions of importance now), 1) “control gained by enforcing obedience or order”, 2) “orderly or prescribed conduct or pattern of behavior”, 3) “self-control”, 4) “punishment”, and 5) “training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character”.

As a verb, it has fewer definitions, but they are as follow: 1) “to punish or penalize for the sake of enforcing obedience and perfecting moral character”, 2) “to train or develop by instruction and exercise especially in self-control”, 3) “to bring (a group) under control”, and 4) “to impose order upon” (definitions from the Merriam-Webster).

Therefore, discipline has to do with keeping order. And we all need order in our lives, right? Imagine living in a country without a government. Chaos would break out very soon. Imagine living in a house where there is no order. The kids would come and go at free will, Mom and Dad will wake up and go to bed when they want, everybody will disregard mealtimes, and the house will be cleaned...well, never. The kids will be unruly, rude, and will have no respect for other people. And Mom and Dad will just not care about what people say about them, even if they are being an annoyance to the rest of the neighbourhood.

Have you ever met an undisciplined kid? It’s like meeting a demon from hell. You want to pull all your hair out of your head, you want to take the frying pan...no, the 100-pound hammer and bring it down on the kid’s head. You want to drive the tractor, the biggest truck, the backhoe, and the excavator over the kid. You want to do everything and anything, just so that you can get rid of this little demon.

On the other hand, have you met a child that is raised with traditional family values? They are polite, respectful, more ordered, more obedient, and more driven. You almost want to take the kid home with you. You want to offer them a position in your home, and in your heart.

My conclusion is, this world needs more traditional values to be brought back. Without those values, we are certain to become unruly, and live in a world where we fear kids, and just about everybody. Those who have read 1984 by George Orwell might even remember Winston’s one comrade’s kids. I think they were the Parsons. Little demons. There was even a comment made that parents feared their kids in that society. I would too!!! If somebody started calling me a thought criminal, or would report me to the Thought Police for something I said in my sleep?! No way will I stay there; I’ll run away.

We need traditional family values! They have brought us this far! Some have withstood the test of time! And only now, they are being discarded. We need to become disciplined again. For, the change starts with us. Within us. The future without these values will be frightening and devastating.

I once saw a stand-up comedy by Sebastian Maniscalco. He was making a comment about kids and their discipline. He said that he didn’t find the half-naked kid running around in the restaurant to be cute. Instead, what he found cute was the Japanese kid that was busy eating with chopsticks, while he was dressed up nicely.

What’s the difference between the two kids? Discipline. The family values. It makes all the difference! And it always will. We need order and discipline. We need traditional family values.