See ‘em acting up, tearing it up like a cyclone through a village,
Even in a public space, their parents trying to save face,
Reprimand is in order, maybe time spent in the corner,
Take away from ‘em their latest obsession, whatever it takes so they learn their lesson,
It ain’t no fun to be the villain but it’s part of being a parent,
Can’t always be their hero, you’d be foolish to enable ‘em, better re-check that job description.
Love ‘em, play with ‘em, open ‘em to countless possibilities,
A positive childhood lays the groundwork, basically,
Then you can be sure they’ll grow up good and proper, ready to spread those wings and soar higher and higher,
But good old-fashioned discipline is in order, they’ll thank you for it when they’re older,
Kids get outta line, sometimes, push boundaries like only young’uns can,
That’s your cue to step up to the plate, put ‘em in their place before it’s too late,
Youthful innocence and ignorance are limited excuses, you’d be remiss to let ‘em slide,
Be a parent, Mom and Dad, it’s your duty to guide ‘em through this life,
Some days might get ugly, they may hate you for it at times,
They shout “I hate you” or “I’m running away” when you teach ‘em right from wrong? Don’t take it serious, ain’t nothing but sticks and stones.
Peep at those that treat their own like lil’ buddies,
Won’t ever be the ‘bad cop’, tell ‘em ‘no’, ‘can’t do that’ or even when to stop,
Any semblance of order is stifling, they say, to sort them out tantamount to abuse,
Then their wee ones turn into monsters while they smile and gush about their cuteness,
No laughing matter when monsters grow to be menaces to society, lacking empathy, accountability and personal responsibility,
That’s the price paid for being too afraid to step up when it’s needed, congrats, Mom and Pops, y’all had a job and ya blew it,
Now comes ‘life’ to fix ‘em the way you never could,
It takes no prisoners, won’t let ‘em get away with murder, you left ‘em high and dry, now they’ll face the consequences.
Teachers ain’t paid to mind ‘em, and why leave that to strangers?
It always starts at home, do your damn job and raise ‘em,
Know when to be their pal but also when to exercise authority,
Pull them in before they fall, that is your responsibility,
Sooner or later they’ll understand that there was method to the strictness,
Maybe when they’re raising the next generation, using the very methods you’d all but patented,
It’s the greatest job in the world, parenting, the best you’ll ever have,
Not for the faint-hearted, every step there’s a test, in the end you can only do your best.