How Important is Discipline?

In the dictionary discipline is defined as training to act in accordance with rules. What would the world be like if there were no rules or laws? People could commit crimes and this world would be a mess. There would no civilized society. Or even worse what if there were no consequences for those actions. What if no one learned any discipline. If everyone did learn the concept of discipline especially as children, I think the world would be a better place. I define the term of discipline specifically as parent teaching their children respect, give them consequences for their actions, and teaches them responsibilities.

The first step in teaching discipline was teaching respect to others as well as yourself. I grew up in a strict home. A home where as a little child I was taught not to question adults and to not talk back to them. I was taught to respect my elders no matter what. I was taught that they were wise and if I listened I could learn from them. I was to say "yes sir, no sir" or "yes ma'am, no ma'am". I was taught to respect for myself as well as others, so I was taught to learn table manners as well. My parents would always tell their stories about growing up in small town while they were kids. They would say that the whole community lived on the same street and that their parents knew everyone on that street. Maybe the school teacher, principle or even the preacher were their next door neighbors. The all had hands in raising my parents. They even learned morals and values from them. As a result my parents grew into great people. People that learned respect at an early age and now command respect as an adult. I believe teaching respect is a form of teaching discipline.

Without consequences I would have ran wild as a child. The fear of what would happen if I did something bad or something I knew was wrong stopped me from getting into a lot of trouble. The main consequence for me would be a spanking. For some children it might have been taking things he or she enjoys, being grounded, or no television.

Responsibilities were very important in teaching me discipline. As a child and like many other children I was given an allowance every week. I had to have the discipline to save my measly ten dollars per week to by something that cost way more. I learned the special discipline of saving my money. This is a discipline that even adults have a hard time doing.