Parent Stupidity

I wasn’t surprised when I read this or this. I mean, I would be surprised if that girl really got pregnant by a stray sperm swimming in chlorinated pool water. It’s like contracting AIDS through breathing. She would be the second human being in history, the first one being Virgin Mary, who got conceived without any sexual intercourse (or surrogacy or whatever, you get the idea). I would be surprised too if a teenage girl could actually fall asleep while her face being tattooed (was she stoned or something?). What doesn’t surprise me is parent stupidity.

If you have been a teacher long enough, the chance is you would have encountered at least one of those parents who believe whatever crap their children dish out. Don’t get me wrong, trust is highly valuable; it is the bedrock of any relationship. But there is a very fine line between unconditional trust and dumbness. I’ve lost count of the number of times parents told me how angelic and naïve their kids are, even when they were given hard evidence how their kids bullied others or cheated at school. To these parents, the whole school including all teachers and students pick on their kids as if it is the only one thing that unites the whole school.

If their stupidity ends there, that’s fine. Parenting isn’t always effective anyway. And deep down I always admire the sort of loyalty and faith these parents have in their kids despite the occasional misjudgment they may have. On reflection, I doubt I could blindly believe my kids (not that I have any) and defense them like these people and that really challenges my suitability of being a parent. Moreover, I lied to my parents when I was a kid as well. Sometimes I could get away with it, sometimes I couldn’t. I mean, doesn't everyone do the same thing?

However when these parents start suing people like those in the news, it’s another story. I’ve seen parents staging the whole crying stunt in the media or making the accusation to Department of Education just because their kids were, in their view, unfairly treated (like being failed or given a demerit for a “minor” offense or suspended from classes or given too much homework). The current education system in Hong Kong has put schools in a very vulnerable position that school principals almost bow to parents and students in order to stay away from negative publicity and ensure a steady flow of enrolment. A parent’s letter is almost like a get-out-of-jail-free card for students to excuse themselves from Physical Education lessons (no, kids in Hong Kong don’t like PE lessons even if they like sports), unfavourable school events, drug tests or excursion.

And you wonder why kids don’t learn to respect others these days.

I don’t want to sound like I’m putting all the blame on parents as I do admire those parents who always offer the best to their kids and never give up on them even when the system/world fails them. However, unconditional affection and trust do not automatically translate into submissiveness. And sometimes, parents with a clear, sane mind can help their kids learn about their mistake before they repeat it when they grow up. They can’t always get away with it – better learn that sooner than later.

If you're in any doubt, the best thing to do is to follow your common sense as it works 99% of the times. If you tragically are one of those who are not blessed with any, just bear in mind that you don't come across X-file type of incidents that often - they are just over-represented in the media.