Twelve Steps to Raising a Juveline Delinquent

Scott Williams has a great post on Twelve Steps to Raising a Juveline Delinquent. It hits close to home as my son is 13 and my daughter is 10.

Twelve Steps to Raising a Juvenile Delinquent:

1. Begin with infancy to give the child everything he wants. In this way he will grow up to believe the world owes him a living.
2. When he picks up bad words, laugh at him. This will make him think he's cute.
3. Never give him any spiritual training. Wait until he is twenty-one and then let "him decide for himself."
4. Avoid the use of "wrong." He may develop a guilt complex. This will condition him to believe later, when he is arrested, that society is against him and he is being persecuted.
5. Pick up everything he leaves lying around. Do everything for him so that he will be experienced throwing all responsibility on others.
6. Take his side against neighbors, teachers, and policemen. They are all prejudiced against your child. That will be good training for someday when you take his side against the police.
7. Quarrel frequently in the presence of your children. In this way they won't be so shocked when the home is broken up later.
8. Give the child all the spending money he wants. Never let him earn his own.
9. Satisfy his every craving for food, drink, and comfort. See that his every sensual desire is gratified.
10. Let him read any printed material, and listen to any music he can get his hands on. Be careful that the silverware and drinking glasses are sterilized, but let his mind feast on garbage.
11. When he gets into real trouble, apologize to yourself by saying, "I could never do anything with him.
12. "Prepare for a life of grief. You will likely have it.--Taken from a pamphlet entitled, "Twelve Rules for Raising Delinquent Children" distributed by the Houston Police Department.

The problem is that most of the TV my kids watch (The Disney Chanel) pushes this type of treatment. Every one of the sitcoms pretty much tell the story: Leave your kids alone, they will be OK, and besides they know more than you do anyhow!