a question for the pro's?

Question

or anyone else with a resonable answer.

as a father it is my job to teach my children right from wrong.
to teach them to respect the law.
how can i teach them that it is o.k. to break some laws and not others?
how as a parent can i teach them it is alright to pick and choose which laws to obey?
it is my job if i want them to grow up to be law abiding citizens to teach them that all laws must obeyed and enforced.
so you tell me....how can i teach them it is o.k. to break the law and expect them to be anything other than criminals?

also...
can anyone please tell me who mando is talking to or what he is talking about????

Answer 1

I have this problem myself.

Not only am I a parent, I am also a woman of conscience who believes that the law must be followed, but also recognizes that there are times when our laws simply don't work.

I think the answer (and it is not an easy one, bigdaddy,) is to teach our children to do what is right. More often than not, what is write will be what is legal, or can at least be accomplished legally.

But there will be times, and we must prepare them for those times, when what is right is not what the law says. Those are the times when they will need all of the strength and courage that we can give them, because it is not always easy to do the right thing, especially when it conflicts with the legal thing.

They need to develop the intelligence to discern right action from wrong, and the skills to look ahead at the possible outcomes their actions may have. We can't always know, but we shouldn't blindly react, especially when our senses of "good" and "law" conflict. That's another place where we as parents have to help guide them.

Ultimately, I think it comes down to teaching our children to be good people, and then giving them the strength, intelligence and courage they need to continue to do what is right, regardless of law.

Answer 2

I teach try to teach my kids right from wrong, and reinforce it by setting an example. I also teach them action and consequence. I let them know, whether its at home or the real world, that they are accountable for their actions, and must take responsibility for whatever happens as a result of their decisions (good or bad). I point out that we have to try to always do what is right, not what other people are doing. I just tell them that if a person decides to break a rule (or law), and gets caught, then they have no one to blame but themselves. I make sure that I throw responsibility & accountability in with the right & wrong. I don't know if that makes any sense, but that is how I handle it with my kids.

Answer 3

We have a 6 year old daughter, and I agree with you. We need to teach our kids to respect and obey the laws. We also need to set good examples for them - kids notice if you say one thing but do another.

As a mother, my first and foremost responsibility is to take care of my daughter and teach her how to be a good person and a good citizen. Every law on the books needs to be obeyed, even if I wish the law was not on the books. For instance, I would love not to pay taxes, but we do anyway. I would love to drive right through stop signs when I am running late for work, but I stop anyway. Why? Those are the rules.

Answer 4

Personal responsibility and accountability. Is what I teach my daughter. No one is perfect, and no ever will be.
Here are some tips that I tell my kid.
If it is worth doing, do it right, not half-***
Never lie, no matter what
Don't speed if you can't afford the ticket
Treat people how you like to be treated
Never back down from a bully
the list goes on and on

Answer 5

Pfo's example doesn't hold up: if we get a speeding ticket, we don't demand they change the laws; we pay the fine. Illegal aliens, on the other hand, believe the laws should be changed to suit their whims. No comparison.

A better example would be driving without a license and claiming you were forced to do so because you couldn't pass the exam. No one would get away with that. Nor should we let illegals get away with what they are doing.

Answer 6

It's kind of like speed limits... don't we teach our kids from day one that it's ok to go 5-7 miles per hour over the limit, because the cop won't bother to pull you over? Honestly, it's that kind of thinking that ultimately ended up putting me in prison.

Answer 7

Well you can't because you are trying to be a good parent. However we can't assume that parents who drag their children into another country and compromise their futures are good parents.

Answer 8

This argument related to illegal immigration of "what does this teach the children" is pretty lame. There are politicians who are on the news in one compromising situation or another, there are TV and movies that glorify the bad guy, the kids have parents who cheat on their taxes or drive faster than they should and some of their friends might be doing illegal drugs. Kids are surrounded by ALL of this but illegal immigration, a concept they might not even understand, is some how supposed to have a greater impact on their character?

Answer 9

Human beings do not automatically know what is right and what is wrong; we have to learn it.

Answer 10

When you drive, do you speed? You know that's illegal right? Should that net an automatic ticket? No, and it doesn't. Even a police officer catching you speeding might let you go. The truth is laws were made to be broken, and in most cases they are guidelines for behavior. Speeding is an excellent example, most people do it everyday, and not because they want to break the law, or because they want to endanger themselves or the population, but usually because they have to get to work!