Bill Cosby is right. Our main problem is we have forgotten how to parent our own children. We are so afraid that our children won't like us that we blame teachers, music, neighbors anyone but ourselves. We forgot about God. We forgot about discipline. We really forgot that these children need guidance. The really scary part about all of this is we really believe that everyone is suppose to help us raise these kids. The harsh reality is we are their parents and that is really our job. Our kids don't need designer shoes and clothese, cell phones and computers, what they really need is parenting, guidance, discipline and most importantly, they need to know that we love them on a daily basis.

Absolutely things are out of control. Parents give things to their children without knowing what they did to deserve being lavished on. Just hand over the control and let the children raise themselves. Children and adults alike need to live in the world in an accountable state of being. Some one is going to know what you did and if you see something that is not right we all need to be ready to get in their face and make them accountable. Supposed anonymity gives courage to someone to do something or say something they otherwise would not be willing to do if they were held accountable for their actions. Parents and peers alike need to keep society toeing the line.
Just knowing how to drive does not make you a good driver, anymore than being alive makes you a good human being! It just means you are alive, not necessarily alert.
I could go on and on.

I agree with you. Children must be parented. They are little sponges and letting the wrong things soak in reek havock and confusion in a child. Love, patience and guidance are what they need most. The more positive things you put in your child, the more positive he will be. They need strong guidance and to know what is right and what is wrong. Children are begging you to tell them the right thing to do. When we build confidence in a child and teach them right from wrong, the less likely they will be a follower instead of a leader. I have always loved Bill Cosby and he is right!!!!

The effort of this generation of parents to provide for their children in a way that leaves them better off than they were as children, has failed miserably. What we have is a generation of children who believe they are entitled to receive anything they want, regardless of cost- financial, spiritual, emotional, or physical. Most in this lost generation feel no empathy or compassion for anyone other than themselves. Many parents are at a loss as how to cope. Some, either through lack of involvement by being wrapped up in their own ego, or through being totally bogged down in the system of just "trying to get by" to make ends meet, are unaware of what has happened to their children's lost moral values. Others see the problem, yet leave it to teachers, coaches, churches, or God forbid politicians, to solve. I applaud Mr. Cosby for speaking out about this issue, even in the face of heavy criticism. I also applaud Oprah, for attempting, especially during the debate over the Imus comments, to reach out to the community of artists that encourage youngsters to behave anti-socially. Peer pressure will ultimately be the most effective pressure of change. We must continue to prevail on the power of those who are being emulated, to behave in a manor worth emulating.

I love Bill and I think we all do, but besides growing up watching him on TV, I have also grown up listening to what he has to say, I truly believe he is correct. I also believe that society has some blame on the way we view certain things. Correcting a child in public, not beating a child to death, but correcting them is so taboo. No one wants to do it because they all feel a finger will be pointed, children will be put in foster care. I would have never in my day called 911 on my parents for giving me a correction, today parents have to stop and say should I correct my child will I be accused of something that did not take place. Bill please tell us what are we too do?

I couldn't agree more with kstokes' comments. My question is: How do we reach out to parents whom are not parenting? Parenting in itself is such a sensitive topic. How does one go about letting a neighbor, friend or family members know that their approach or sometimes no approach is going to have repercussion in that child's life in the future?. How do we go about educating a teenager parents? I feel that we as society have so much work to do. We have fallen so behind. It is the age of high technology, some parents can't even communicate with their kids any more. Communication lines are broken. How do we connect the lines back up?

I have said this all along, while we have been raising our children, that are now mostly grown. Where will the LOVE, manners, trust, respect, responsibility, rules, spirituality, and discipline come from in our children if we are not teaching it to them. We are not parents to be their best friends, but if you are good parents, you and your children end up being great friends.
We have the best relationship with our children, and are by no means perfect parents, and they are not perfect children, (except in our eyes of course). But they have more of all of the above attributes, than many, many children, and for that matter even a couple of parents I know. We are supposed to be roll models. What do we expect them to learn ? And what tools do we give them ?
This society has become a very scary place, with the "blame everyone else" thoughts and attitude, and by the disgusting movies, music, dress code, and language that is "acceptable". As parents we are not the kids, and shouldn't behave or dress that way. Just imagine what will soon be acceptable, and how it will be for our Grandchildren, I already do. I am very worried, the bad just gets worse.
It is "way out of hand" all over the world now, but our Canada and United States are were I see it the most. We need to grow up and take back that responsibility, and be parents. My Husband and I thank GOD, and know we are so very blessed with the fantastic kids we have, and I know there are millions of others out there too that are as blessed as well, .....I know there is hope.... but for those that haven't done it yet......Love your kids enough to GROW UP and do your job !

And one more thing, YES BILL ! YOU ARE SO RIGHT AND THANK YOU FOR GETTING THIS OUT THERE, !!! IT IS ABOUT TIME ! THANK YOU , THANK YOU !
We as a family watched your show every single one , and we still laugh and refer to the episodes fondly !

Things are out of control. People have lost their moral compasses. We live in a "fast food" world, a self-centered, self- gratifying world. We as a nation have done away with our self consciences. If it feels good then it's okay. If it shuts up the kids for a while, it's okay. If it avoids an argument, it's okay. What the heck?! We are ruining our children, the future generations if we don't get back to the basics of morality. Forget "getting a backbone." Get a conscience people!

I am going through a divorce where the father of our three sons sees no wrong in his explicit pornography and acting out what he sees. There have been incidents where the boys (5, 3 and 1) could have just moved the mouse on the computer and seen some images that are damaging to any mind and soul.

Wow....I would have loved to have seen this show.

We need to do something - parents need to do something! I can't believe what parents allow their kids to have and what they allow their kids to do these days!

We were married and had children at a very young age. The whole time my husband and I were raising our children we would seek guidance from the "village" (it takes a village to raise a child, literally), from grandparents, from parents, from friends, from experts, etc. - knowledge and education is empowering. We had rules and structure. We had/have two basic fundamentals for child rearing - one: your children have plenty of friends but they only have two parents, it is our job/responsibility to raise them to become socially conscious, mature adults with decent morals; and two: with responsibility comes privilege, they must show their responsibility first in order to receive or keep privileges.

Many times we heard from others that we had too many rules, that their curfews were ridiculous, and that we should let them do more, it was difficult but we stayed on our desired course....then funny thing is now that they are adults we hear alot more of "How did you do it? How did you get your kids to grow up to be so responsible and have such direction and determination?"

Our children did all the normal things kids do while growing up and I am sure there is plenty I don't know about or care to ever know. In the end they made the right choices and their focus was in the right place. If there were bumps along the way we always told them that none of them came with an instruction manual and we only made decisions based on what we knew to be right at the time and within our knowledge just as they did along the way as well and will continue to do throughout their lives.

...and as parents we smile proudly.

Sadly, the parents responding to this are not the ones you have to worry about, obviously if we're responding, we are computer savvy...we CARE enough to have an opinion, and we took the poll (which, by the way, I cannot believe the responses were as positive as they were) because I am a mother of 3 boys, 18, 16, and almost 3, and I can attest to the fact that NO parents my teens hang out with KNOW where their kids are, I seem to be the only one who cares. Most if not all parents of the teens at my sons' high school act like they do not care, or they are too busy to worry about where their kids are. They are either too busy dating or on their own computers, to care what the heck their teens are doing, or at least that's how they act. Because all I ever hear are things like "Mom, so-an-so's mom doesn't care, so why do you??"

Sadly, I cannot pinpoint the reason Dr. Cosby is so up-in-arms...I agree with him, but there are SO MANY factors that are contributing to the delinquency of our youth. I think our wake up call is 10-15 years too late. A couple MAJOR factors in this is BOTH parents working, single parenting WORKING, too much media input 24-7, society pushing the envelope on what is acceptable and considered "normal", lack of self accountability, too easy computer access, Hollywood being a role model, taking God out of schools, etc.....I could go on and on. Even in MY lifetime, which I'm only 40, things have changed night and day from when I grew up...

ok, I'm done venting. But really I just wish MORE folks would step up, instead of the well respected Dr. Cosby taking all this on himself, because he's going to be seen as a radical...and people are going to question his sanity...unless more people stand behind him.

Many parents fail to see how parenting is connected to themselves. Failed relationships, failed marriages, numerous jobs and any other personal failings they may have be it addiction to drugs, alcohol, sex or food. If they tell their children it isn't okay for them, then they have to see that it was never okay for themselves. So many parents do not want to do that.

How many of us are really OKAY? So why do so many people give the excuse of "I did that at that age, it's okay and it's normal." If it's so okay and normal, than why are you on your 3rd marriage to an alcoholic?

We are losing the support network of the extended family. Our society is so transient. I can remember a day when I was a child that if a neighbor shouted out to you that you'd better scoot on home it's getting dark, you didn't talk back to them because you knew they would tell your parents or next time you saw them at church, school or the store that fear was always there.

It's not a child's fault if they have not been taught empathy. It's pretty simple stuff people. Baby is born, it cries. Mom and dad pick it up and hold it or feed it and sooth it. Baby becomes a toddler, the child falls down or hurts itself you hold it you sooth it. Child becomes a preschooler. They hurt someone's feelings, you tell them "That isn't a nice way to act. Do you remember that time when Jimmy hurt your feelings? How did that make you feel? Sad? Please don't hurt peoples feelings, I want you to be a nice person. Thankyou honey."

Just responding to your child with empathy is a start, but you also have to display it to others so they see it's not just a special thing for them. I think people just assume that this is an automatically learned behavior. It is not! You have to talk to them about these things. Geez folks.

Want your child to have empathy? You absolutely MUST show it yourself. People can blame who they want for this problem but it's not just the media. I don't think the media helps much, but it's never going to go away. You do have to be more vigilant as a parent these days. Prime time television isn't allowed on while my younger children are awake. Parenting properly isn't always convenient.

Mr. Cosby, my parents could turn on the television when I was 12 and know that if I watched your show that it wouldn't be offensive. Thank you for that special time in my life. There just isn't anything comparable to it these days.

My job as a parent is to raise a good person. I want my child to grow into an independent, respectful man, a contributing member of society. How is that possible? Discipline. Instill a work ethic. Instill a sense of compassion and empathy for others. Be a stable, loving family who is not afraid to discuss not only our issues, but show him that despite difference in opinions, we still love each other very much. My husband andI are kind to one another. I think it's a shame that so many children are deprived of these basic human needs.

It's out of control. I'm tired of parents blaming everyone else for their kids misbehaving. I see young teens walking around at midnight sometimes, even on a weeknight. PULL UP THOSE PANTS! My son will not be wearing those clothes because I will not be buying them for him. If I catch him borrowing clothes like that, he'll be grounded. Yes, parents still can ground a child. My Dad wasn't a carpet layer so I'm not a door mat. I expect respect from my child and I expect him to show respect to others as well. I'm not a cruel parent, I love my son but he will have rules to follow. And no he won't get everything he wants but he'll have plenty and know the value of a dollar, or penny in our case. If called for, a spanking will happen and no time out, it's go to your room or you're grounded. Parents don't follow through with discipline anymore and that's a big problem.

I think all high schools should offer "Parenting 101" and "Financial Responsibility 101" since some kids just won't learn that from home.