July is known to be nutrition month in the Philippines. Children can be very picky eaters so discipline is necessary. I was thinking about the possibilities of why it took me some time to enjoy eating vegetables (which I do now) over why I initially didn’t like vegetables. It’s really a worrying concern when children don’t eat their vegetables. Not eating vegetables is not good for your health. However, some parents are doing the right thing the wrong way. It’s just like spanking and/or scolding one’s children for misbehavior is right but it can go from discipline from abuse. Making your children eat their vegetables is right but it can also be done in many absurd ways. One of them is the use of boogeyman parenting.
The Boogeyman is referred to a fictional character used to scare children. Parents tend to think nothing is wrong with “little white lies” then they wonder why their children lie a lot to them. I remembered how I get punished for lying but the grown-ups just don’t stop lying about Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. I admit that I used to believe in Santa Claus as a child, got mad when I was told Santa Claus isn’t real, and it’s all because the first source of truth children get are their parents. The boogeyman is no different. Children take Santa Claus very seriously because mommy and daddy said so. Children do likewise with the Boogeyman because mommy and daddy also said so. Mommy and daddy will never lie, right? Unfortunately, that’s where we’re wrong.
The Boogeyman and the Big Bad Wold are taught by some parents a fictional characters to represent the consequences. Fictional characters can be used to teach lessons in a creative way. It’s one thing to tell the story of the Boogeyman or Little Red Riding Hood to make an entertaining lesson while saying, “The Big Bad Wolf may be fictional but he represents the unsavory people we must stay away from!” It’s another thing to teach that the Boogeyman is real just like teaching Santa Claus is real. The Boogeyman can be used to teach children about the dangers of unsavory elements while maintaining his status as a fictional character. It’s like a parent can use Santa Claus as an illustration of authority figures who reward good behavior and punish bad behavior. It would be like telling them, “The Boogeyman is a fictional character that represents the criminals in daily lives. Santa Claus is a fictional character that can represent a generous boss who won’t hesitate to give deductions to employees who don’t do their jobs right.” What’s wrong is when the Boogeyman is introduced as a real character instead.
The problem with teaching the Boogeyman (or any fictional character) as real is more than just a little white lie. The child is taught to fear the non-existent. Instead, children should be taught the truth. Introducing the Boogeyman to the child as a fictional character is one thing. Lying that the Boogeyman is a real person is another. They should be taught the real consequences. It’s like saying, “If you don’t sleep early then you’ll feel too tired for school tomorrow.”, “If you don’t eat your vegetables then you can expect to get sick more often!” or “If you don’t behave then don’t expect any toys this Christmas from us!”
It’s also because Proverbs 22:6 says that the child must be trained to walk in the way when they’re no longer children. We need to face it that characters like the Boogeyman and Santa Claus are just meant to be “outgrown”. Instead, the lessons need to be taught. If parents want their children to tell the truth then lying that the Boogeyman will eat them if they lie is a double-standard. Romans 2: 21-23 warns about not walking the talk. The Pharisees were also condemned for such behavior and not just their religious hypocrisy. The Boogeyman should always be introduced to children as a fictional character, no more no less!
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