Great Grandmother's initial reaction was to blame the parents for not setting limits when the children were young. It is Great Grandmothers opinion that if parents do not set limits for their children, then who will? Shall we expect our society to set these limits when the children are old enough to go to jail? Would you want your young teenagers or even your older children to be locked up in jail? The jails, even for young people, are overcrowded and in most cases simply a "holding" station. There doesn't seem to be much education in learning to live a better and more productive life. I am not sure that being locked up with a group of "hardened" criminals, drug dealers and the dredges of society would be a good learning experience in setting limits. I wonder just WHAT these young people in jail learn from their more experienced jail mates.

Great Grandmother firmly stated that it is up to the parents to be an example for their children and to set limits....including the reinforcement of those limits ... with smacks to small bottoms when the limits of behavior has been ignored and broken.

Great Grandmother raised 5 children, part of the time by herself while her husband was overseas during the war. She set an excellent example by being a good provider, loving mother and considerate neighbor. Great Grandmother never expected to be handed the world on a platter, never expected life to always be easy and never expected welfare programs to help support her children. She provided her children with better education, better food and better living arrangements than she had. She did an excellent job of raising those 5 children ... including the smacks on the bottoms.

I am very much in agreement with Great Grandmother's views that parents need to take the responsibility again of raising their children, of instilling honesty, courage, consideration and LIMITS. Like Great Grandmother said, "If the parents do not teach children that there are limits in behavior, then who will?"