When Boys Won't be Boys (Gender Nonconformity in Kids)

"A father has a feminine son who acts like a girl and says he wants to be a girl.  So one day this dad says to his son, 'Hey, come over here and tell me, are you a gay or are you a boy?'  The little boy says, 'I'm a girl, dad.'

The man grabs his son and shoves his head into a barrel full of water, holding him under.  When the boy comes up gasping for air, his dad says, 'One more time... You'd better change your answer... What are you?  A gay or a boy?!'  Again his son says, 'I'm a girl!'  'Oh really?' replies the dad, who proceeds to shove his child's head under the water yet again.

Spanking in the Philippines: No Spanking = No Discipline?

I have to say, I was very surprised at some most of the reactions left on my post about the Philippine House passing the Non-violent Discipline Act.  I'm of the opinion that corporal punishment in any form is an incredibly bad idea and does absolutely no good for children or for society.  In line with that belief, I wholeheartedly applauded the House's passage of the bill, and I stand by that.  It is progressive, it is important, it is timely, and it is in the best interest of Filipino children and their rights as human beings who are incredibly vulnerable to abuse and coercion.

I take issue with the notion that countries with prohibitions on spanking are producing out-of-control youth.  I dare to say that many people who say such things have most likely never spent long periods of time in the countries they claim to know so much about.  If you're judging all Western children based on what you see in American movies, you're reaching a very lopsided and uninformed conclusion.

It is also worth noting that some comments included references to the fact that American kids are disrespectful parent-haters.  The reason behind this perceived notion, they say, is because the U.S. has laws against spanking.  Sorry, but that's just not true.

Anti-spanking Bill Passes in PH House

Learning by example

(Comments below post)

I just have to give a round of applause and a thumbs-up to the Philippine House of Representatives for its recent (6 Aug.) passage of HB 4455: the Positive and Non-violent Discipline on Children Act. When it comes to Philippine politics, my posts often deal with negative aspects, bad policies and outdated laws. That's why it was so refreshing -- and a cause for praise -- to learn of this bill's passage on its third and final reading.

HB 4455 would prohibit parents, guardians, teachers, and elders from subjecting children to physical punishment and psychological threats as a means to discipline, train, or control the child.

Rep. Susan Yap, one of the bill's authors, has said that corporal punishment does little more than instill an acceptance of domestic violence in children. It confuses them because the ones they rely on for love and guidance are allowed to physically hurt and abuse them in the guise of "discipline." I couldn't agree with her more.