Bill Flanagan: Lessons should begin at home | Raleigh News & Observer

Lessons at home

In the “Panther Creek High disciplines five top students for cheating” article of May 6, and reprinted as Worth Repeating on May 9, a parent of a Panther Creek parent stated “The administration needs to communicate to students that there is a consequence for cheating.”

Parents are fully responsible for the social behavior of their children. They need to communicate the moral consequence of incorrect actions. Schools can only reinforce our good and just social skills.

Cheating and stealing starts early. If you don’t want your child to cheat, don’t do it yourself. Those “rolling stops” at the traffic sign suggests to your kids that it’s okay to cut corners, especially if no one is looking. Showing them how or allowing them to download movies or music from the Internet without paying royalties to the owners. If a cashier forgets to charge you for an item and haphazardly places it in your bag, make a point of bringing this to the cashier’s attention and paying for it. Give your child the message that you respect laws, rules and regulations and that you expect the same from your children.

Review the ancient human laws of the Bible. The Ten Commandments say it clearly and simply:

•  You shall not steal.

• You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

•  You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.

Make sure you are beginning and continuing this lesson from home.

Bill Flanagan

Apex