Weak Parenting, Weak Minds: A Wake-Up Call

There was a time, in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, when childhood meant resilience. Life was not cushioned by comfort, and parents did not rush to shield us from every bruise or hardship. Food was simple, and eating at KFC or McDonald’s was a rare occasion — a privilege reserved for birthdays or celebrations. 

Shoes came from Fung Keong or the small kedai runcit down the road, and we wore them until they frayed at the edges. 

School uniforms were handed down from sibling to sibling; nothing was tailored, nothing personalized. We did not complain, because that was life — and in those struggles we discovered strength.

Parents and teachers alike carried authority. A slap for misbehavior, a scolding for poor marks, or a punishment for disrespect was not an act of cruelty — it was part of a larger culture of discipline. It taught us the meaning of respect, accountability, and humility. Those moments of correction did not break us; they built us. They hardened our minds, so that when the storms of rejection, failure, and disappointment came later in life, we did not collapse.

Fast forward to today, and the difference could not be sharper. This afternoon, I sat in a fast-food outlet and witnessed a scene that spoke volumes about the state of parenting today. Two parents, each with five or six children, sat at their tables while their kids ran wild. The children took endless drink refills, chewed on ice, threw it across the floor, poured food and soda all over the place, and screamed without control. And the parents? They sat quietly, choosing not to intervene.

Who is to be blamed here? The children — or the parents who allow such behavior?

We are quick to point fingers at “the younger generation” for being rude, entitled, fragile, and uncontrollable. But the truth is simple: children only copy what they see and adapt to what they are allowed. Weak parenting creates weak minds. If kids are never guided, never corrected, and never taught discipline, how can we expect them to grow into responsible adults?

This is not about poverty or wealth. It’s about values, focus, and responsibility. In the past, families were big too — seven, eight, sometimes even ten children — but discipline was never compromised. Parents knew that having children was a gift of God, not just numbers to feed. They instilled respect, taught responsibility, and corrected mistakes on the spot. Today, in many homes, children are left to raise themselves while parents take the easier road of silence. And we are paying the price.

Look around. The consequences are everywhere. Kids lashing out at parents when their demands are not met. Teenagers bullying on the roads, unable to control their tempers. Young adults committing suicide because they cannot handle rejection. A whole generation that collapses at the word "NO.”

Why? Because the roots of resilience were never planted. Parents replaced discipline with indulgence, correction with silence, and values with convenience. The very things that once built strong minds have been abandoned in favor of comfort.

The wake-up call is here: children are not weak by nature; they are made weak by weak parenting. A child is a divine gift, and it is a sin when parents neglect to guide that gift in the right way. We must go back to the roots. Children must once again learn gratitude — that rewards are earned, not demanded. They must be taught discipline — that love sometimes comes in the form of boundaries and correction. They must learn resilience — that failure is not the end, but the beginning of growth. They must rediscover respect — for parents, for teachers, and for life itself.

If we fail to instill these roots now, we will reap the consequences later — a society of entitlement without effort, a generation of fragile minds unable to withstand the storms of life. But if we act, if parents find the courage to be strong again, to discipline with love, to say no when it matters, then we will raise children who can endure, who can lead, and who can carry values forward.

The bottom line is clear: weak parents raise weak children. Strong parents, rooted in values and discipline, raise strong, resilient generations. The choice is ours — and the future of our society depends on it.