Marmers thread on Thai parenting got me thinking....
First off I have no kids, yet. I look around and see how some of these Thai kids have grown up with no sense of questioning authority. They seem to just follow the flock without ever asking "Is this right or wrong". By authority I mean anyone older than them, the media and government. The mentality of not wanting to rock the boat seems extremely prevalent in Thai culture. I live near a university and watch the "group exercises" that build on this theme of the group is stronger than the individual. The hazing and initiations carried out in Thai schools by the senior pupils towards the freshy's only seems to ingrain this thought process further.
How did you go about teaching your kids to think for themselves? To question what they are "told" is correct. Did they get any flack from others for their independent thinking?
I for one have never been a model citizen. I always try to question the facts and usually don't believe what I am told right away. I think this trait is an important part of an individuals upbringing. Again, I am not a father but I could never see my kids just following everyone else just because the "group" says they should.