The Discipline Master

When you were growing up, who was the discipline master in your life? Your Dad or your Mum?

For me, it has always been my Mum. She’s the one who nags, scolds and canes, and also the one who encourages, edifies and affirms. My Dad, on the other hand, was a typical Chinese dad who was very cool and aloof. He seldom scolds me & my brother, not to mention cane us, and he is always the one we run to when my Mum picks up the cane. (Alas if the caning happens during the day when Dad is at work of course.)

Though Mum played a bigger role in my growing-up years, I have to admit that I am actually closer to Dad. Perhaps it’s because I can communicate better with him, and he does not nag, which is a super plus point. I think I was very much a Daddy’s girl. Still is. :)

In Joey’s life now, her Daddy is the discipline master. While she loves Daddy super a lot (to a point that makes me jealous), she is also most afraid of him. Mummy (me) can repeat an instruction 10 times, and Dad just needs to say ONCE. Once is all that is needed to get Little Joey moving. I think I am beginning to think that I was probably the one who turned my Mum into a nag.

Both Isaiah & I discipline Joey, but I do the small-matter disciplining while Isaiah handles the big-matter disciplining. When any matter escalates to Isaiah’s level, Joey knows that she’s in trouble. It’s usually because she conveniently didn’t hear the 10 times I was yelling at her to stop doing something (“Stop playing with your saliva!!!”) or to start doing something (“Come & bathe NOW!!!!!”), or when I clearly told her to do something and she gave me attitude (“I don’t want to do it.”), and Daddy had to step in before I become a hysterical mad woman.

I really don’t understand why actually. I’ve analyzed the situation many times before. I tried imitating Isaiah in the tone he uses to tell Joey not to do something. I tried raising my voice and looking really scary. Most of the time, Joey would look non-chalantly at me, as if she could see through me – Mummy is just putting on a front. She can’t bear to beat me. Chey.

Well, I admit I really give super a lot of verbal warnings before I actually whip out the cane. I mean, one should always be given lots of second chances in life, isn’t it? ok fine, I’m just too softhearted.

Even though Daddy is the discipline master at home, Joey still loves him very much, and goes all out to please him. I don’t even get the same kind of treatment even though I am the one who buys more clothes and toys for her. It’s really not fair. Haha.. But I think it’s natural that daughters all love their daddies. In their eyes, their daddies are more macho than Superman and more charming than James Bond. Their daddies can do ANYTHING.

I wonder if Baby Jayne will behave the same way as her Jie Jie when she grows up?

 

Oh well, she probably will. :)