Opinion page by Duane Alan Hahn.
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Parents Should Have to Pass a Parenting Test
What Is an Emotionally Healthy Childhood?
It seems like people in the United States have to get licenses for everything, so why don't parents need to get one before they can have a child? People whine about the quality of our schools, but say almost nothing about the quality of our parents.
Most belief systems and religions agree on certain points of conduct. There are also laws that all people are supposed to follow (no matter what they believe). Many parents and potential parents don't seem to know or understand a lot of the laws that already exist. They need to be taught about the different kinds of abuse and why it's wrong and illegal to act in certain ways.
Parents need to pass some kind of life skills course that makes sure that they understand what is and is not appropriate behavior and how to handle stress and anger in a sane way. For example, it's not OK to lock children in a closet and starve them. It's not OK to have sex with them. It's not OK to treat them like slaves. Kids are people too. They should be treated the same way most people would treat a visitor (with kindness and respect).
Gun lovers must be taught that guns should be properly locked up. Guns should not be stuffed under a bed, in a drawer, or in a closet where children could find them. There should be zero news stories about a child accidentally shooting another child with a gun they found in mommy's or daddy's closet.
To help as many people as possible, one solution would be to have students pass this short course in the 7th grade, then take the course again in their senior year.
The course would also be freely distributed on the Internet so people could study it any time they want. People with low incomes could also have access to it from their local libraries, various charities, and government agencies.
Below is a list of unofficial questions that you might want to answer. Be aware that a few of the questions may be offensive to some people. Read the list of questions at your own risk.
How A Messed Up Childhood Affects You In Adulthood
Do you want to have a child so you'll have somebody to boss around?
Do you want to have a child because you think it will be a little clone that will believe what you believe?
Do you want to have a child because you're lonely and want something that you hope will love you unconditionally, like a puppy?
Do you want to have a child because you didn't achieve your goals and want to live vicariously through the achievements of your child?
If you have a bad day, would you eagerly wait for your child to do something wrong just so you could release all of your frustrations and anger by screaming at or hitting the child?
Would you ever lock your child in a closet, starve your child, violently shake your child, burn your child, waterboard or torture your child in some other way, punch/kick/beat/stab/shoot your child, or drown your child?
Would you get drunk or high in front of your child?
Would you give alcohol or hallucinogenic drugs to your child?
Would you show pornography to your child?
Would you have sex with your child or let some other adult have sex with your child?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the questions above, you may not even be qualified to have a pet. You might want to read some books, take a college course, or watch some YouTube videos about how to be a good parent.
If you already are a parent and answered ‘yes’ to any of the less offensive questions above, you might want to get professional help. If you answered ‘yes’ to any of the more offensive questions, you might want to go to your local police station and turn yourself in.
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