Rules are mostly made to bring about orderliness; hence, punishment is attached to any broken rule, no matter how big or small it may be. Some people are just good at observing rules and abiding by them, which is great, while others would be found breaking rules either intentionally or unintentionally. Whichever the case, the main idea of enforcing rules is to enjoy a structured environment to the benefit of an organization or our society at large.
In all aspects of life, rules exist, starting from our homes. Of course, I have many rules in my home, down to schools, churches, hospitals, roads, and any establishment you can think of. The rules are there to maintain peace, and I do not want to imagine a world without rules because most people will just be living like animals.
Imagine you are a parent who genuinely does your best to raise a responsible child, then suddenly receives a memo stating that your child has been given a two-day suspension from school for breaking one of the school rules. You may feel devastated, right? That's my case, and I will tell you about it shortly.
I wouldn't say I am a perfect parent; in fact, I am not close to perfection, but one thing I know is that I put in all my best when it comes to nurturing my children, teaching them morals, and how to behave when they find themselves out there. Every parent would want their children to make them proud, and I am not an exception. Receiving such a memo put me off balance. I was worried about a two-day suspension for breaking one of the school rules. You needed to see how my heart was panting. I called my son, Chisom, and with all desperation, I asked, What have you done? What happened in school? Did you forget to practice your daily positive affirmations? And lots of questions. I wasn't patient enough because it was the least I could expect at that time. My son told me that during break time, he and one other of his classmates used their drum sticks to drum on the class chairs, and that was all. The head of the primary school reported them to the school authority for disturbing the class with the drumsticks during breaktime.
I breath in and out! I calmed myself down and said, At least it's not what I was thinking, but what baffles me is the sudden decision of the school authority. A letter of suspension was prepared immediately and forwarded to my WhatsApp. Sincerely, I expected a warning, since it was during the break time and not when the class activities were ongoing.
Drumming is my son's best hobby, to the point that he leads other students in their band club in school.
My son and his band group
So their tutor allows them to have their drum sticks in their school bags while they use them for practice whenever they are having rehearsals. As children, they just used the drum stick at the wrong time, which landed them in a two-day suspension. To be frank with you, those two days were the longest in my son's life. He wept; he was depressed and couldn't stop apologizing for misusing his drum stick. As a mother, I felt for him. My husband nearly changed his school, saying the punishment was a bit harsh considering the nature of the broken rule and the age of the children; however, the punishment made a great impact on my son's life. He is now more careful, conducts himself far more than before, and uses his drum stick only when their band club is ongoing.
Indeed, rules create more orderliness if they are obeyed by you and me.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog 馃.
This post was inspired by the #HiveLearners community on the topic titled Breaking the Rules.
Note: The second image is mine.
