“Why I will never hit my daughter!” – The Don Father
"As a father, I have made a conscious decision that I will never use violence as a form of discipline with my daughter. She needs to know that no matter what, it is never okay for a male to hit her in any way."
WE are living in scary times, times that have us in fear for the future of our children.
You see, I come from an upbringing where physical abuse towards my mom was an ongoing occurrence. It was only until I was old enough and big enough that I could stand up for her, and up to him, did he back down.
Our daughters need to be raised with the understanding that nothing, absolutely nothing, can warrant being physically or verbally abused by anyone. Our sons need to be raised with the understanding that it is not, and will never be okay, to verbally or physically abuse a woman! Ever!
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As a father, I have made a conscious decision that I will never use violence as a form of discipline with my daughter. She needs to know that no matter what, it is never okay for a male to hit her in any way. This simple way of understanding starts right here in our home. Don’t get me wrong, I do discipline my children, but there are many other forms of discipline that do not require violence.
As parents, we also feel that it is important to enforce that “no” means “no”, even when playing. If I am tickling Gia and she says “no” or “stop”, I stop immediately. She needs to understand that those two words are powerful, and that she is in control of them.
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We need to force the lessons of understanding now so that we raise a generation that clearly understands what is acceptable and what is not.
We need to teach by example at all times. Men, treat your wives in the same way that you would want your daughter to be treated by her husband one day.
To read more of Don Dinnematin’s articles, visit www.thedonfather.co.za.
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