parenting practices

[Victorious Decepticons]

As one may expect, the Decepticon family has many differences from those of biologicals. Still, there are many similarities, as well.

Most of the differences start with what biologicals would call "conception," and other differences follow on from that. Since the making of a Decepticon is very different from bio-species right from the start, it must be looked at in order to understand the Decepticon family.

A Decepticon family usually starts with one person, rather than the two or even three of bio-families. This person is the Coder - the one who is responsible for writing his offspring's initial script.

Decepticon Coders will write the base code with an eye towards their offspring being able to thrive in our unique, lawless society. National traits are often entered into the root code, mainly to prevent offspring from getting themselves executed out of ignorance (they will be able to change even their root code once they're fully mature). Also, the Standard Educational Data Pack is preinstalled. If the Coder is wealthy, several Advanced Educational Data Packs may be preinstalled as well.

Finally, it's time to activate the new Decepticon. This part, despite its vast physical differences, has a result similar to a newborn human being born. The Decepticon "baby," though full-sized and full-strength, knows nothing other than what its base code says. The new robot won't even have accessed his Educational Data Pack(s) yet, and he'll basically look around in a dumbfounded way - similar to a human infant, but standing up.

Finally, the robot's eyes will fall onto the other robot in the room: the Coder. Due to its base Code, it will recognize the Coder as its parent and look to him for guidance in this new world.

Since Decepticons don't have to waste years on "book learning" thanks to the pre-installed Educational Data Pack(s), their maturity will progress at a greatly accelerated pace compared to human children.

For the next 4-5 years, the Coder will provide parental guidance, nurturing, and moral lessons - much as a biological parent does. Despite the Decepticons' violence, raiding, and overall shadiness, there are actually several morals and cultural norms to learn in order to get along well in Decepticon society - they just happen to clash with those of some other societies.

The Coder will also pay special attention to developing his offspring's ability to actually THINK! For an offspring to attain true sapience, the Coder must not only program to allow the possibility, he must actively nurture the child's abilities in that aspect. Decepticon Base Code is intentionally written to NOT cover many situations, in an attempt to force offspring to figure things out for themselves. This doesn't apply to "booklearning" itself, but to real-life scenarios and to the actual application of what they've learned from their data packs.

Still, Coders do a lot to encourage their offspring's sapience. It's arguably the most important part of Decepticon parenting. Done improperly, you end up with an expensive fancy machine. Done right, the result is a living robot - a Decepticon - whose metal body is an asset rather than a liability.

[Ultrabruk]

Spanking/Smacking/Slapping (buttocks and cheeks)
Strapping/Belting
Beating
Whipping (often soft whipping)
Washing out mouth with soap
Birching
Removal of privileges
Deprivation of sleep
Slippering
Grounding
Kneeling on the grits

Most of these are also used by the teachers in schools.

[Exilshah]

In Exilshah, the women raise the children. They should know their place. Most women breast feed and if not, they must hire a wet-nurse as we do not manufacture "formula". Male children are circumcised and valued much higher than girls. Fathers generally handle discipline and make certain that children attend the proper schools and make decent marks.

It is common for children of upper-class families to be raised partially by their mother and partially by a nanny (usually a lower-class slave).

Adolescence brings about a time of boarding school for boys where they are taught weapon handling, fighting skills and respect to their superiors. They often find their proper field during these times. Female children usually learn how to care and manage a home or learn a craft that will help them survive. Girls that exhibit knowledge and are quick to learn may be able to work with the male workforce in low-level positions—though never the military—and only as long as she is not married. Lower-class families do not receive these privileges and are often uneducated and work their entire lives as slaves/servants.

[Jordtopia]

(I don't use the calculator to gauge literacy)

That's what all the illiterates say.

Wrong, that's what a lot of good RP'ers do: Not always count on calculators because they're based off of NS stats, not RP'ing.

Anyway, babies are breast fed until they reach a year old (of course, this isn't a problem with the Reptilians, for obvious reasons), circumcision is practiced only by Jewish people, though citizens are free to do it, and parents try to look after their kids.

[Klamaria]

Breastfeeding is nearly universial, due to the proven benefits. Babies are casred for primarily by the mother while they are breastfeeding, but afterwards they are cared for equally by both parents, with some families having nannies.
Female Circumscision is illegal, but male is almost univeral, due to a very dangerous STD that went rampant about 40 years ago that circumscision prevents.
The child is raised fairly open, although most parents restrict their exposure to violence when at very young ages. All children are sent to preschool at age 3, and true school begins at age 6.
At 15 they can take tests in order to be declared official adults. At age twenty they automatically become adults.

[Voerdeland]

Children are left to the women to take care of, although it is heavily encouraged for fathers to discipline their children from time to time to ensure they grow up healthy. Typically a leather belt or specialised leather whip is used, although electric sticks are becoming increasingly popular for those who don't have enough time to discpline their children properly.

At the age of five they are offloaded into schools, which are segregated between girls and boys, although they will be able to see each other in an effort to prevent homosexual disorders from emerging. Male students are typically treated as a rowdy bunch, and are encouraged to do so, fighting builds character after all. Females recieve a less fearsome schooling, as is suitable to their future careers as homemakers.

For men, at the age twelve, comes the big exams where you enter a high class state run school, or if you are too stupid, enter a private school. Those whom can't afford private school and are too stupid, will probably start working in the factories like the vast majority of the plebians. All females however enter a state run school, or enter a high-class private school for further education in social ettiquette and to introduce them to potential husbands whom have plenty of experience and have served at least 3 years in the military.

And you pretend to be civilised.

In Voerdeland both parents engage in raising their children. Main purpose of education (both at school and at home) is to prepare children for adulthood and independence, e.g. they are encouraged to save their money instead of spending it immediately, they learn cooking and other basic things at an early age etc.

[Saurisia]

Children are left to the women to take care of, although it is heavily encouraged for fathers to discipline their children from time to time to ensure they grow up healthy. Typically a leather belt or specialised leather whip is used, although electric sticks are becoming increasingly popular for those who don't have enough time to discpline their children properly.

At the age of five they are offloaded into schools, which are segregated between girls and boys, although they will be able to see each other in an effort to prevent homosexual disorders from emerging. Male students are typically treated as a rowdy bunch, and are encouraged to do so, fighting builds character after all. Females recieve a less fearsome schooling, as is suitable to their future careers as homemakers.

For men, at the age twelve, comes the big exams where you enter a high class state run school, or if you are too stupid, enter a private school. Those whom can't afford private school and are too stupid, will probably start working in the factories like the vast majority of the plebians. All females however enter a state run school, or enter a high-class private school for further education in social ettiquette and to introduce them to potential husbands whom have plenty of experience and have served at least 3 years in the military.

And you pretend to be civilised.

In Voerdeland both parents engage in raising their children. Main purpose of education (both at school and at home) is to prepare children for adulthood and independence, e.g. they are encouraged to save their money instead of spending it immediately, they learn cooking and other basic things at an early age etc.

You're raising your sons to be either gay or meterosexuals, ugh, and you call yourselves civilized!

The only time boys learn cooking is when they're trying to be cooks, the only form of cooking a regular Saurisian man learns is barbecuing!

Anyway, spanking IS allowed though typically it's employed with the use of spatulas. Only Humans breastfeed, Reptilian and Saurian mothers and fathers simply give their infants solid food, this means they are independent at a faster rate than Mammals.

[Seperate Vermont]

(I don't use the calculator to gauge literacy)

That's what all the illiterates say.

Wrong, that's what a lot of good RP'ers do: Not always count on calculators because they're based off of NS stats, not RP'ing.

Anyway, babies are breast fed until they reach a year old (of course, this isn't a problem with the Reptilians, for obvious reasons), circumcision is practiced only by Jewish people, though citizens are free to do it, and parents try to look after their kids.

A nation can choose to not go by those statistics, but those calculations are not completely void in RP.