Troublemaking kids spit on helper and toddler: How to teach teens manners

With so many parents in Singapore living in HDB flats, we hope for the void decks to be a safe place for us to let our helpers and children hang around. But in Clementi, some families don’t feel safe in their own neighbourhoods because of a group of unruly youths and their teenage bad habits. 

Teenage bad habits go out of hand in Clementi

Source: Facebook/Jingjun Ng

Recently, a bunch of youths, who look to be in their preteens and teens, were accused of spitting on a helper and a two-and-a-half-year-old child at a void deck in Clementi. 

Jingjun Ng shared the harrowing experience on her Facebook page. The story has since been shared over 1,355 times. According to her Facebook post, the incident occurred on Saturday, October 27 at around 4pm at Block 419 Clementi Avenue 1.

Her helper had brought her son out in a stroller to the second floor common area. She felt water drop on her but did not realise it was spit until the youths did it for the second time. 

Her helper had shouted up at the the youths, asking why they spat on her. But the youth just walked off.

But the sequence of events that followed was shocking. 

Child, helper and elderly man bullied 

Source: Facebook/Jingjun Ng

Two more kids from the group – the girl wearing a yellow school T-shirt and the boy in the red – followed the helper and spat in front of her. When the helper tried to escape, they allegedly blocked her. 

An elderly man sitting nearby the incident told them to stop and threatened to call the police. The boy in the red then allegedly took out a long metal ruler to point at the old man and intimidate him as well as the helper, and kicked a rubbish bin in the vicinity.

The elderly man asked the helper to run home with the boy. When she came home, looking scared, Ng and her husband went to investigate the matter. 

However, the kids denied their actions. Ng’s husband called the police, who arrived within 10 minutes on the scene. 

The police informed Ng’s husband that this was not the first time these out-of-control teens had caused a nuisance and they were infamous for causing trouble in Clementi. 

In another incident, the kids had attacked a disabled man in a wheelchair. 

How to curb teenage bad habits

Teens which are given too much freedom might develop teenage bad habits. | Source: Pexels

Sometimes, parents give too much liberty to their children, allowing them to run amok and cultivate teenage bad habits. 

Ng brought up in her Facebook post that since this was not an isolated case and the children have been known to cause trouble in the past, why isn’t anyone doing anything about educating them? 

Parents, we need to start the education at home with our own kids. 

If you have a troubled teen at home, then you will need some help in raising a teen with better behaviour and habits. Here are some tips on how to do that:

#1 tip on getting rid of teenage bad habits – Spend quality time with them

Parents, many of us are guilty of not spending enough time with our kids. Whether work, house chores or our social lives (just kidding, we don’t have social lives) get in the way, we are all a little guilty of neglecting our kids. This can result in unruly behaviour, or acting out, to get your attention. 

By spending more time together, it can help foster a better relationship, while improving their overall behaviour. 

#2 tip on getting rid of teenage bad habits – Giving them a role model

Are you a good role model for your child? Reflect on what you have done or said at home. Are they mimicking this behaviour? There are many common mistakes parents make that result in children with bad behaviour. Think about what kind of child you want to raise and work to make yourself a role model for them. 

#3 tip on getting rid of teenage bad habits – Under-disciplining your child

Teens need discipline to break teenage bad habits. | Source: Pexels

Yes, there is such a thing as under-disciplining your child, and it is something that differs from parent to parent (or child to child). Parents, avoid these common mistakes when disciplining your child. Don’t give in to them and back down as soon as you think you’re tired of the argument. Sometimes, perseverance is necessary in winning a larger battle. 

Related articles:

How to handle a troubled teen

Understanding today’s teenage culture