Parents Go On Strike

The parents of a Deltona, Florida family have gone on strike to teach their kids to help out around the house. The story can be read here.

"I want socially conscious children. That's what I want. Children who can see the world beyond them," Barnard said.

Barnard said the kids don't know how to rinse the dishes, let alone put them in the dishwasher.

Barnard and her husband, Harlan, moved out of the house and into the driveway complete with picket signs, the tent, a grill and a television Monday. Tired of wisecracks and no help with cleaning or straightening up, they went on strike.

"We cannot let them continue on this path because this is not preparing them for the real world ... It's not that I want indentured servants, I want children who can see beyond their own noses," Cat Barnard said.

Some have suggested the wrong people are in the driveway and that the Barnards need to be tougher and not use psychology with their kids.

I tend to agree with the people in the last paragraph. There is a real lack of discipline among many parents today. Parent's are afraid to punish their kids or else they might not be their best friend. Kids seem to have the upper hand in the family and that's just wrong. When my wife and I took a pre-natal class before my first child was born, the nurse would go on about not letting your baby cry, feeding on demand, not keeping a schedule, and basically doing whatever the kid wants you to do. The fact is, kids want structure. They want boundaries. These things make them feel safe because they know what to expect. They will always test boundaries, but they give them a sense of security. They don't want parents to be friends. They have peers that are much better at that. They want parents to be parents. Too often I see people that let the kids rule the roost and in the end, they aren't going to learn to be accountable for their actions because they never have consequences. I fear for the children raised up in this kind of situation and for our society as a result of it.