“Beating children has never led to discipline. If beatings worked, Africa will have the most well-behaved adults” – Reno Omokri

Former presidential aide and author, Reno Omokri has weighed into the trending conversation about if parents should beat their children as a corrective and disciplinary measure.

Reno took to his official Instagram page to share his opinion as he disagreed with the school of thought that beating children is a good way of instilling discipline.

According to him, if beating children is indeed good, Africa will have the most well-behaved adults by reason of the disciplinary measures meted on children by their African parents

He went on to proffer another way parents can correct and discipline their children.

His words,

“Beating children has never led to discipline. But it always leads to fear. And Scripture says ‘perfect love casts out fear’-1 John 4:18. Consult child psychologists about this. They will tell you beating either hardens children or makes them timid. Many children who bed wet, were beaten. And bed wetting and animal cruelty are linked to a higher likelihood of adult criminality. It is called the Macdonald triad. If you want your children to turn out well, punish them when they misbehave by temporarily depriving them of things you know they want, and reward them when they behave. If you regularly reward children for good behaviour, they will hardly display bad behaviour, because they become addicted to the rewards they get when they behave well. It is like you. You do not go to work out of fear. You go because you anticipate a reward-salary. I have read Scripture in the original language and ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’-Proverbs 13:24 is a proverb. It is not meant to be taken literally! You did not turn out well because your parents beat you. How many beatings did Elon Musk parents give him?”